The Paths We Tread
by TheWritingGirl23
Summary: Growing up without love in the grip of HYDRA, and trained as killers, children Gambit and Rogue form a bond of trust as they strive for freedom and peace for them and their friends; but will this trust grow to something more? Eventual ROMY, AU
1. Prologue  Last Glimpse

**What if Remy LeBeau never grew up in the Thieves' Guild? What if Rogue wasn't raised by Irene? What will happen to them when, instead of growing to know one another among the faithful X-men, they bond in desperation in the grip of HYDRA and what comes after? My own AU of what would happen if they did, and who they would grow to be.**

Prologue

The small boy huddled in the corner of the bare room. The lights had been dulled, but the harsh white walls still glared in his sensitive eyes. The hard bed didn't help him to sleep. He hadn't slept in he didn't know how long. Ever since he had been taken all he saw were metallic and white walls, cold floors. He was no older than five or six, but he already yearned for home. Home: the smell of spices in a warm and bustling city, the mysteries of the bayous just beyond the glorious lights of the ever-wakeful streets. Jazz music pouring from the clubs and laughter ringing with it. Even in poverty and living on the streets he could appreciate the beauty of his home, New Orleans, the Crescent City. Now he wondered if he would ever see it again.

He remembered the last time he had seen it. The day had been humid, the sweat dripping down his small and scrawny back as he trolled for full pockets. A simple thing with all the ignorent tourists living it up, never suspecting the skinny auburn-haired shark circling for prey.

A good day that had been, his dirty trousers stuffed with the contents of an afternoon's rich pickings. Fagan would be proud, and he would prove those boys who taunted him what he was truly made of. He would never have guessed that he wouldn't be returning to Fagan that night, nor ever again.

He turned down a side alley, moving as silently and swiftly as a cat. He didn't observe the shadows expertly tailing him. He could do nothing when they struck, slamming the tiny boy into the wall.

He cried in pain and terror. The people were dressed in black and green, completely covered despite the heat of the day. What looked almost like night vision goggles covered their eyes as they turned to the other, consulting. The only useful thing the boy could see was an unfamiliar insignia: a badge containing a many legged creature, like an octopus. The man that had him pinned turned back to his captive. The boy's eyes widened, wondering what they meant to do to him. Were they cops, come to punish him for his thievery?

The one holding him kept one hand at quarry's throat while lifting the other to his ear.

"Yes ma'am, from the precog's description, this is the one. Red on black eyes. Looks like we caught the real White Devil."

The boy gasped slightly. How could they know that taunting name he had been given because of his unique and frightening eyes? Though the boys always called him _le Diable Blanc_, in French.

"Certainly ma'am, we'll bring him immediately. By the morning you'll have your newest acquistion."

The other man stepped forward, and in his hand he held a funny-smelling cloth. He placed it over the little boy's mouth and nose. The vapor stung his nostrils and he struggled to rip it away. His attempts were futile due to the man still holding him and the fact that he was growing sluggish and unnaturally sleepy. The skyline of New Orleans grew dim and then blinked out as Remy collapsed.

That had been his last glimpse. Would he ever see it again? Tears rolled down his cheeks. He had never known family or even friends, but as long as his city protected him he could get by. Now she was gone, and he was utterly alone, without a soul to wonder where he was or care. Salty tears continued to trace down from his ruby and onyx eyes as, with exhaustion, he sank to the floor and fell into haunted sleep.


	2. One Voice In the Dark

**Hope you found the prologue enough to keep you reading. Let's see where we go next.**

The Paths We Tread

Chapter 1

Remy leapt forward for his very life before the metal platform below him dropped hundreds of feet into darkness. His lungs screamed and his legs shook, but he knew that giving up was not an option. With his limbs shrieking at him he continued to run as fast as his feet would carry him. With desperate vigor he sprang again to catch the metal bars. He blocked out the straight and deadly plummet below him, but swung, grabbing the bars and swinging his way across the abyss. Ignoring the burn in his blistered palms he made the last few bars and dropped to the floor. Suddenly cannon blasters rose up from the floor, giving no quarter as they began to fire on him. He dodged nimbly, his young feet not failing him. He whipped out his chosen weapon, a telescoping metal staff, and vaulted himself over the offensive line.

Just as quickly he swung the staff around again, shearing off the barrel of the nearest gun. The others continued to fire but couldn't catch him as he flipped, dived, cartwheeled, somersaulted, and handspringed, everything he could do to not be hit. Now or never. He withdrew from a small pack at his belt several small black discs. He tossed them with a sniper's accuracy and they connected to the cannons. Red lights beeped momentarily before the discs exploded, shattering the guns into split metal and smoke.

Hardly allowing him a breath, a massive device also sprung from the ground, the giant metal pole surrounded by smaller staffs of metal sticking out horizontally. It spanned the room so there was no dodging it as the poles began to rotate, first slowly, then faster around in merry-go-round of death. Remy gasped as he leapt over one bar that almost swept his legs from under him and then ducked as another nearly took off his head. He jumped and ducked while trying to avoid being knocked down. Finally it sank back into the floor as even more cannons emerged from the walls. This time they surrounded him from every direction. He again whipped out the bo staff as heavy rubber balls began to fire at him. He deflected many but he was exhausted. He staggered with fatigue and that was all the opening that the offense needed. A heavy ball collided with his stomach and he doubled up in pain. Another nailed him right square in the face, sending him tumbling backwards as stars exploded behind his eyes. He could feel pain in his nose and he wondered vaguely if it was broken. His head connected with the metal floor and he lay still, too beaten to rise again.

A throaty buzzing echoed around him and those cursed lights blazed back to life again. He remained motionless, but willed himself to rise as he heard feet approaching. He managed to roll feebly to his stomach and tried to lift himself to trembling knees. He gave out and collapsed again, seeing blood from his nose drip to the floor. He dry heaved with the hurt and exhaustion.

Rough and strict hands hauled him to his feet and held him there so he wouldn't give out again. His vision was blurry as he took in the man who was leading him to the technicians who would check his vitals like they did every day after the first training session of the day. He slumped to the seat, his ears fuzzily taking in what the man nearby was saying.

"How did Operative 23 perform on the current trial, and how long did he last?"

The answer was quick in coming from the control room, 2:46:92, or two hours, forty six minutes, and ninety two milliseconds in continuous action.

The man seemed pleased with the results. "At least the White Devil is progressing, unlike our other operatives. I can see why the Supreme Hydra was so eager to acquire him two years ago. As soon as the technicians are finished, send him to eat."

When he was finished he was accordingly sent, one of those dang chaperones following him to the mess hall with the rest of the 'operatives'.

The doors opened to reveal the same bare walls, cold floors, and metallic tables as everywhere else in this wretched place. Some of the other kids his age, seven to nine, were huddled around the tables, gulping their bland food after their own rigorous training sessions. Without a word he shuffled to collect a metal tray that held tasteless but 'nutritious' military pellets that they ate everday for every meal. It had been several years, but Remy could still remember the rich tastes of the Cajun food whenever he managed to get a decent bite. He moaned slightly as his mouth watered at the memories.

He turned to find the only ray of light in his dark life. Operative 57 waved discreetly at him. Only Remy knew him by his real name, Rowan Sawnder. He had arrived several months ago, Remy could never keep track of time in here. Although Rowan wasn't chatty or annoyingly optimistic, he had an air of stoicness and inextinguishable determination about him that nothing seemed to crush. Remy wondered whether he would have gone insane in this place without him. He was on the brink of that right before his arrival.

Remy slid in next to him. Both boys were still young, Remy estimated his age at eight, since he had never known the exact date of his birth. Rowan knew he was eight since the nice ladies at his orphanage kindly kept track for him and his birthday hadn't yet rolled around again. At least he didn't think so. Darn the time in here!

Rowan looked up at Remy, understanding and sympathy in his eyes which were so different from Remy's, a soft angelic blue.

"They pushed again?" Was all he asked.

Remy gulped his water, draining half the bottle before he responded. "O' course. We are dere favorite guinea pigs, afte' all. Why do dey make us do all dis crap, dey don't nearly push de ot'ers as hard." Despite the passage of time he still retained the thick Cajun in his husky boy voice as he angrily slammed back the rest of his water.

Rowan lowered his blue eyes that were painfully reminiscent of the summer sky neither had seen in ages. His dark locks fell in his eyes, badly in need of a neglected trim. "I don't know Remy. You're right, but we can't complain."

"Remy ain't stupid, he know dat." The southern boy growled at his one and only friend. His demonic eyes softened a bit at the other kid's discomfort. The last thing he needed to do was go snapping at Rowan. After all, he probably owed the guy his sanity.

"M' sorreh Rowan. Jest tired." Rowan nodded and they both resumed shoveling their meals while they could.

Again the harsh buzzing blared, signaling the operatives to move on to continue training. Remy wondered if all kids did this every day. He didn't think so, he had seen other kids in New Orleans they did go somewhere almost every day, but those places were nothing like this place. He and Rowan parted ways as they went on to the cruel and repetitive routines. Remy trained all day, according to what their possessors thought them most suited to. Because of his short background in thievery and pickpocketing and his considerable ability in that field, Remy was drilled in computer hacking, infiltrating security systems, advanced thievery, assassination, and so many other things that he cared not to keep track. And always there was combat: hand to hand, with his staff, gunfight, fighting with blades of all shapes and sizes, knife throwing, and wielding weapons that any decent person would consider criminally insane to place in an eight year old's hands. Sometimes he would to the wrong thing and cut himself or burn himself. Always the injuries were brushed over and they kept on pushing, no matter how much pain he was in. On and on it would go, seeming never to stop.

At last, like the voice of an angel, that buzzing signaled the end of the day. Remy fell to his knees, his bo staff clattering from his weak hands. This time he was able to stand before someone made him and he wobbled unsteadily to where his guard awaited him. The man shunted him out into the bland hallways. They came into the largest hallway, where the child operative trainees were herded to their 'rooms' every night. All the kids were swaying on their feet, so worn from the day some of their eyes were already closed, others supporting their slumping bodies. All were dressed in the standard training grey suits with the HYDRA patch sewn at the shoulders.

Remy spotted Rowan staggering among them and joined him in the flow. Rowan's eyes were also drooping and the two friends leaned on each other. They couldn't wait to collapse on the hard beds and escape into sleep, attempting to seize a scrap of peace and rest before the viscious circle began again.

As Remy's own eyes were closing, something caught his keen ears. His black and red eyes snapped open again as his interest was piqued. He could hear voices, never ones he had heard before. The most prominent was a grown woman's voice. It was regal but sent a shiver down his spine at its cold smoothness. What had really caught his attention was another voice, young and clear with a familiar twang that sent a pang through him as he recognized its southern root. Not Cajun, but definitely from the deep south. His interest was nagging him so insistently that he couldn't let it go unsatisfied.

He turned and hissed to his friend. "Rowan, follow me." Rowan looked at him like he had grown a third head.

"Are you crazy. We'll get caught."

"What's de worst dat could happen if we do? Extra hours are comin' our way anyway. If ya ain't comin', I'm a goin' myself." With no other explanation to his friend, the Cajun began to drag his feet so as to fall behind, looking for an opening to dart into the hallway they were approaching. Rowan sighed; he wasn't reckless, but he wasn't a coward either. His instincts told him something much worse than extra working hours would await them if they were caught out of line, but if his friend got busted, he wasn't going to be punished alone. With a similar slippery grace he fell back to join Remy.

The job would be tricky. Two guards always led the children in front while two more took the rear. Fortunately, Remy had been specifically trained to handle these situations. He wondered why these people bothered to guard them when they trained a select few to evade and escape conditions just like this. Maybe they were just stupid that way. His keen eyes noted everything there was to observe: how far back the rear guards were, the rotations of the security cameras mounted on the walls, how many kids were between them and the front and rear guards. Something crucially useful caught his eye. The guards in the rear didn't seem to be keeping track of the number of children they were escorting, and another was a faulty fluoroscent light above them that would flicker in a ratio of seven to three second periods: seven seconds of light and three seconds of dark. From his honed mind he guessed that at the current pace they were moving, they would pass the hallway from which the voices were emerging during one of the three seconds of darkness. He smiled deviously.

He breathed his plan into his friend's ear, who still didn't know why they were doing this but was going along with it anyway. The hallway was nearly level with them. Remy's eyes darted back to the rear guards and then to the front. The front guards were leading as they should, while the rear were distracted slightly with their hushed conversation. It was time.

"Now!" He hissed, and he and Rowan dived behind the wall as the light flickered off for mere moments before coming back on. They pressed their backs to the wall, waiting with baited breath for the rear guards to pass. When the coast was clear, Remy motioned them forward. They inched down the hall with as much stealth as their substantial training allowed them. Rowan leaned in and whispered to his comrade.

"Why exactly are we doing this Remy?" The other boy didn't whisper back but simply motioned to a doorway at the end of the hall which housed many gloomy doorways. This one however, was lit with the same white light as almost everywhere else. It was barely cracked but they could clearly hear the voices that were floating through as clear as a bell. They leaned in close enough to hear, but also far enough away to beat a hasty retreat into one of the black rooms in case someone were to emerge. Remy's ears pricked up again as the voices emerged again.

"This one is stubborn Madame Hydra. The whole way she would give no name."

"Does it really matter what her name is now that she belongs to us? All she needs is a number and that is good enough."

"Ah don't belong to no-body." An obstinate little voice with sweet southern sass piped up in indignation. Remy couldn't help himself. Ignoring the warning looks that Rowan was throwing his way, he scooted along the floor, not lifting his feet and forbidding any squeaking, until he was able to poke one dark eye around the doorframe. His breath caught slightly.

It was mostly a large and bare room with one chair at the center, in which sat a tall woman that Remy had never seen but had heard enough rumors about to take a good guess at who she was. The Supreme Hydra, ruler of the HYDRA organization. To Remy she looked old, but she couldn't be beyond twenty eight or so. Viper was the newest ruler of the terrorist organization, not long ago instated, but she had seized the operations in an iron fist without hesitation. She planned to extend HYDRA to the greatest prominence that it had ever known, by whatever means necessary. Her green hair was straight and cut to align to her chin. Her matching green lipstick and poison green eyes emphasized her resemblance to her namesake.

Now, those cold eyes were turned on a small group of her newest 'acquisitions', as her mother had called them. She referred to them as snotty brats and worse, but useful nonetheless. Or it was to be hoped. For now, one in particular was starting to try her nerves. She looked down with furious disdain on the little girl that was beginning to cause her a migraine. Remy's eyes were captivated by the same girl.

She was small and rather delicate looking. She looked about the same age as Remy had been when he was brought here, but her face was set in defiance. Her skin appeared sallow in the unnatural light, but Remy knew that in true sunlight it would be the color of cream. Mahogany curls of hair bounced around her round face. Remy noticed something peculiar; mixed with her dark auburn locks were streaks of snowy white that gleamed lovely even in this harsh light. He caught a brief glimpse of her eyes as she tossed her hair, acting sixteen instead of helpless six. Again, the light was marring her appearance, concealing the true color of her eyes, but they were still pretty he thought. Ocean gray with green flecks within. He stared for a good while, not knowing why since he had never stared at girls this way before.

The Supreme Hydra smirked at the little girl who had stood up to her. "Whether you like it or not, you do belong to HYDRA, and the sooner you accept that the easier on you it will be." She glared at the little girl who would give no name. The girl stood her ground but Remy thought he could see a flicker of fear in her eyes. Suddenly another girl stepped up beside her. This one was also unusual in appearance. She had a Native American look, but her hair was snowy white and her eyes were honey gold. Remy had never seen someone like that before.

The Native American girl whispered to the tiny southern belle, who nodded at last and stepped back. The Supreme Hydra seemed satisfied and motioned to the nearby guards.

"You take these new recruits to their rooms and make sure they're comfortable." She sneered at these words. The guards began to herd the small and frightened children towards the only door.

Remy whipped away and darted back to Rowan, shoving him into a dark doorway. Rowan gave him a scolding glare.

"Remy, how're we gonna get back to our rooms without them noticing we're gone now? They'll double check every room. When they see ours are empty, they'll raise the alarms."

"T'anks _le Capitan_ _evident_. I got une _idee_. Just follow moi."

They crouched as the heavy steps of the guards filed past, waiting for the lighter shuffling of the children. With the speed of snakes, they sidled into line without anyone the wiser. Well, one noticed. The defiant girl with the striped hair shot them odd looks of confusion but Remy just turned his head enough for a wink. She blinked then looked away. He didn't know why he was disappointed about that.

Remy and Rowan kept their heads low so the guards wouldn't look closely and recognize them. They were perfectly silent until they reached the long and narrow corridor where all the cells were, because that was all they deserved to be called. The guards lazily directed the students to the free rooms, not noticing Remy and Rowan slipping into each of their respective cells without commotion. Once inside, both sank to the ground, exhausted and invigorated by their daring escapade. Remy wished he could speak with Rowan about their minor adventure, but Rowan had arrived here a lot later than Remy had and was much farther down the hall. With a sigh, Remy finally felt the postponed exhaustion flooding his weary limbs. He hobbled to his bed and flopped down. He regretted that as he rubbed his aching chest.

Remy rolled over, pulling his scanty blanket up his chest, trying to sleep. He was certainly worn out enough to, but his mind was racing. His thoughts just wouldn't leave that strange girl, and he knew he wouldn't sleep until it was put to rest somehow. He sat up in the bare room that he cursed every night for keeping him up with its constant glare, even with the lights out. How in the Sam hill was he going do anything? The only thing that would satisfy him would be to speak to her, but the doors were locked from the outside and any movement in the hallway after hours would get you busted faster than you could say 'Boo'. His well-trained eyes scanned the bare room. The solution was so simple he wondered if it had dropped from heaven. A large vent was set over the bed and the ceiling wasn't that high. Could it seriously be that easy?

No, he had forgotten. There were security cameras in every room. He knew they came on ten minutes after lights out. He wondered if this was out of a shred of consideration for their privacy or for some other reason. That ten minute interval had already passed. Luckily he and Rowan had made it back in time. Remy lay back, disappointment a heavy rock in his stomach. His questions wouldn't be satisfied tonight at the least. He swore to himself that tomorrow he would meet that girl and his curiosity would be satisfied. The boy laid back, for once his mind not occupied with cruel training and a longing for fresh air and sunlight that he hadn't seen in years.

xxxXXXxxx

The little girl was pushed unceremoniously into the cell of a room that was to be her new home. Her face was stoic to the last, until the door slammed and she was plunged into darkness. Then she crumpled and sat defeated. She didn't know why she had been brought here and her mind was still too young to comprehend what they could possibly want with her. Tears welled in her eyes but she blinked them away. They may have taken her, but they couldn't subdue her, so small as she was.

All the same, sorrow grew to a painful ache in her stomach and a small hint of concealed fear. She didn't want to sleep for the memories that were sure to haunt her into her dreams; but she was tired and her grey-green eyes began to blink closed. Sure enough, those minutes and hours of terror returned.

"_Anna Marie, come inside. It's time for you to get to bed."_

_Anna Marie sulked. Irene was calling her in and it wasn't even dark outside yet. She felt rebellious, wondering what would happen if she refused to obey. After all, she had only been with Irene for about a month now and this lady wasn't her mother. Yet Anna Marie had to admit that she had been kindly to her: giving her treats, taking her out to the nearby park, and teaching her how to cook her favorite meals. Irene being blind, she couldn't do certain things around the house, but she taught her fiesty charge as well as she was able. So Anna trudged back toward the small house where she now lived._

_Anna heard a gasp from Irene on the porch and she saw the blind woman stagger a bit, leaning back against the walls shading the porch. She looked to where she heard Anna moving towards her. She called her again but her voice had changed. It carried barely covered urgency and fear._

"_Come Anna Marie, inside the house, quickly." The little girl was confused but picked up her pace, hurrying to Irene's side. The woman ushered her indoors and swiftly locked the deadbolt on the door. She shuffled forward using her cane to navigate to the windows, shutting the drapes and shades._

"_Go and get ready for bed child." Her tone was brusque and had Anna a little worried, but she went. As she brushed her teeth she could hear Irene talking on the phone with someone. Her voice was so worried that Anna finished too soon and stuck her head back around the frame of the door._

"_Yes Raven, I saw it clearly. There is no doubt, they're coming for her. I'm not definitely sure, but from the clarity of the vision I wouldn't be surprised if they arrived tonight."_

_There was silence as the speaker on the other end asked something of Irene. Irene responded again in a resigned tone. "What happens to me is not the main concern. Little Anna Marie is the priority. Get here as soon as you can." With that Irene hung up. Anna was curious but from the anxiety that was coming off Irene in waves she was wary of approaching her. Instead she headed off to her room in her onesy pajamas._

_She lay in her bed, listening to Irene pacing the living room, the clack of her cane muffled by the carpet out there. Anna wondered what that phone conversation had meant. She tried to quell the fear that was fluttering in her stomach. She rolled over as the sun's last bloody rays touched through the shades at her window and the room grew darker. At last, her eyes drifted closed._

_Anna was awoken several hours later by a soft knocking on the front door. She slipped out of bed to look. Irene had stood from her chair that she had been waiting in and headed to open the door. Suddenly she froze again._

"_No." Her voice was despairing. A shattering crash as the front door burst asunder, dust billowing out in a cloud. Anna gasped and slammed her bedroom door. She was scared; what was happening? What would happen to Irene? She was too frightened to think straight, she just searched desperately for somewhere to hide. The little girl scrabbled under the bed, sneezing at the dust bunnies that tickled her nose. She heard loud voices and the voice of Irene it seemed was pleading. There was a weird nose, like a thump, and then a loud thud of something hitting the floor. Then heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, approaching her room. Anna held her breath, biting her tongue so as not to squeal with fear. Even at so young she knew what to do to avoid these scary people who were trying to find her. The door squeaked open and two pairs of big black boots entered, creaking ominously over the floor. Anna shrank away, wondering why no one was coming to help them. Unfortunately, the house where she lived with Irene was secluded and neighbors wouldn't hear the ruckus. _

_The bigger boots moved toward the bed and a rustling told her he was looking for her beneath the covers. The smaller boots pulled open the closet and searched there. Big Boots turned from the bed and Anna let out the faintest whimper of relief._

_A massive gloved hand shot under the bed and seized her foot. Anna let out a scream of terror and clawed desperately as the big hand pulled her unrelentingly from beneath the bed. As she was tugged free from clinging to the bed frame she was yanked up and hauled struggling back to the living room._

_Several firgures dressed completely in green and black stood around the living room. One stood over Irene who was kneeling, the barrel of a gun pressed to the back of her head. Irene heard the girl's plaintive screams and pleaded with their attackers._

"_Don't hurt her. Please, leave the child be."_

"_We don't intend to hurt her." Replied one of the masked people, who seemed in charge. "In fact, that is the last thing we want. We have been told that this child shows promise for the future, and we intend to harness that usefulness for our cause. We hear also that you are a powerful precog yourself, but unfortunately for you, we have one already so we really have no use for you. Don't worry, we'll take good care of the girl. That is the least of your concerns."_

_With that, Anna was thrown over the shoulder of the man who held her and was carried from the house. The other operatives followed, except for the one guarding Irene and the leader. Anna stared at the hopelessness on Irene's face before Anna lost sight of her. She could hear voices inside for a minute longer, then a moment of silence. The shot rang out clearly to the stars, and Anna longed to clap her hands to her ears. Moments later the two men emerged from the house, the guard slipping his gun back into his belt._

"_Irene? Irene?" Anna called in growing panic, but her cries were stifled by a cloth placed over her mouth and nose. Anna could feel tears leaking down as she passed out._

Anna bolted up in the hard bed. No, not Anna. She was nameless now. She had sworn to herself that even if those people could take everything else, they wouldn't take her name. That was the one thing that she could keep locked away where they could never find it. When she had awoken after being taken she found herself aboard a big plane of some sort with several other children. The girl without a name refused to show fear though it was growing steadily in her heart.

She rolled herself in a ball, thinking of that trip. The menacing guards, the terror of the other children, and her own uncertainty of what awaited her next. There had been some comfort, small though it was.

The girl who sat beside her leaned over. She was different, not like anyone Anna had ever seen before. Her hair was soft white like a summer moon, and her eyes were warm gold. Her white hair was tied into one long braid down her back, a shocking contrast against her tan skin.

"You okay?" The other little girl had asked.

Anna had just looked away. The other wasn't discouraged. "My name's Kayla. What's yours?"

"Ah don't have a name anymoah." She replied grouchily in her Mississippi voice. Kayla didn't ask about this but simply glanced down, her honey eyes growing somber in a way that was unnatural on a child's face.

"I'm scared too." Anna glared but saw the understanding. Her defensive stance softened, and she nodded in acknowledgement. Without consciously noticing, they leaned into each other, taking comfort in the presence of a kindred spirit.

Arriving at their destination they were brought immediately before the Supreme Hydra. This was a new practice, as Viper wanted to personally make sure the new acquistions were worth the time and trouble. Before the scornful woman's stare, Anna felt both frightened and furious. The woman was intimidating, but the child's attitude and sass was enough to make her indignant that this lady could think and look on them as her pets or work animals. Thankfully, Kayla helped her back down from her tirade before things grew out of hand.

Now the nameless was alone. She wished for someone to be there for her. She didn't think that she could miss Irene's steady and maternal ways as much as she did, but now her heart ached for her blind foster mother. With nothing else to keep her from her dark thoughts, she rolled in her bed to face the wall on her left. She hoped the walls were thin. The girl knocked lightly and waited. Her breath let out in relief as she heard the answer tap away. She whispered as loudly as she dared. "Kayla?"

"I'm here."

"Ah'm scared. Do ya think we'll be here forevah?"

"I hope not. I miss my momma already."

"Me too." The nameless girl mumbled to herself. Irene was probably the closest thing she had known to a mother.

Another knock sounded on the wall. She responded. "What?"

"What do I call you?"

She thought for a moment. She had never liked Anna Marie, too girly, but the name was hers and she wanted to keep it safe. She had always been a loner by nature, and though she trusted Kayla, she wasn't ready to give it up. Then she recalled something that one of her first grade teachers had called her because of her anti-social behavior. Somehow, it fit. She whispered sleepily back.

"Y'all can call me Rogue."

**I'm trying to keep their personalities similar to how they really are, with the side affects that being raised in HYDRA would bring. Hope you liked it.**


	3. Cities and Storybooks

**Ugghh, I don't own anything. Really, if I did, why would I be publishing on fanfiction if I could make money off of this?**

The Paths We Tread

Chapter 2

Once again, the buzzing. Remy bolted up, his neck stiff. His mind immediately went to the new girl and his thoughts once again swirled with curiosity. He wondered if he would be able to see her before the morning training.

As with every other morning, the trainees were herded to the various training rooms. Remy searched about for her. He caught a glimpse, but she was far down the line and entering her first session. Remy felt a twist of pity and concern in his stomach. The first time was always the worst: they didn't take it easy on someone just because they were new, and if you weren't expecting what was coming you usually came out injured or unconscious. He hoped that she could be strong, for her own sake.

xxxXXXxxx

Rogue fell to her knees, her little hands barely able to support her already light body. She was so beaten down she couldn't move in the slightest. She could feel the aching bruises, cuts, and even several stinging burns setting flames in her nerves. Strangled sobs choked her as sweat dripped down her nose.

Above her the Supreme Hydra observed one of the newest charges. Yes, despite the annoyance this girl could cause, she was well pleased with the outcome. They had been told of the strength and ability this girl would grow to have. They also knew of something else about her, something of infinite more importance to them. Regretably, this factor would not come into play for several years yet so for now they would have to be content with her physical training and her development in the operative field.

She turned to one of the training specialists. "She shows great promise, just as the white haired girl has. Put them both on the advanced training plan with the two boys." With that Viper left the observation deck. She was here to observe how well this operation was running. It, like the girl, held promise, but she needed results for her support. For now, she was willing to with hold any immediate descisions, but there was another program in progress that had her particular interest. Whether this immediate operation would continue would depend on the success of the other.

Rogue was led to eat after she had somewhat recovered. The room was very nearly empty, most of the operatives having already finished their sessions and meals. She saw Kayla, and aside from her there were only two boys remaining. Rogue recognized them: one with dark hair that curled slightly around his ears and over his blue eyes, and the other with a mop of auburn hair that hung in his face in casual disarray. His eyes flickered immediately to her when she walked in. She was still captivated by them: red irises burning like flames on the coal black backgrounds.

She went to join Kayla and began to cram her food. Her gaze would flicker periodically to the boys, who had their heads bent together and were whispering rapidly. Occasionally the one with the red eyes would look her way again and she would stare down at her meal. When she lifted her head again, he had risen and was beginning to make his way to where she and Kayla sat. Rogue's breath caught. What could he possibly want?

Before he reached them the signal went off that it was time to work. The boy's face fell into a pout as he threw her a glance of frustrated disappointment. What was that about? There was no time to think much on it as they were led to another hellish day. Rogue hardly caught a breath the entire day. They drilled her in gymnastics, karate, and all types of fighting. There would occasionally be times when she would learn things she had been practicing at that school Irene had sent her to in that month she had been with her. There was reading, math, and writing. Though that was more of copying handwritten letters and signatures. Rogue wondered why on earth would they make her do something like that.

When she had entered her cell after an endless day Rogue sank to the bed thinking. She had never known her real family. She had switched through different foster homes even so young, but something about her kept making those people return her to the orphanage. Then one day, a new woman had come for her, who called herself Raven Darkholme. Rogue had been nervous around her despite her outwardly friendly appearance. The woman had taken her out for ice cream and tried to get her to open up; but Rogue stayed as tight as a clam. Even though the woman acted kindly, something didn't seem right, like the woman was sizing her up and expecting her to do something strange any moment. Rogue remained stoic though, and at the end of the day Raven had taken her to Irene. She told the girl that Irene would take care of Rogue, and Raven would come to visit when she could. Rogue had nodded and Raven had left her there.

She hadn't seen Raven again, not before she was taken. She wondered if she was looking for her. Probably not, she was most likely just as the other people had been, who would leave her if they found something they didn't like about Rogue.

Strangely, Rogue felt almost a naïve gratitude to these people who had taken her. They may not be nice, but at least someone wanted her in some way. Rogue layed her head down and began to drift to sleep.

xxxXXXxxx

Remy had been planning this all day. The cut on his forehead was proof of his preoccupation during weapons training. As soon as he was returned to his cell that night, he set to work. After all, he had only ten minutes. When he was sure the guards had left the hallway, he took the small bag that containing what clothes they gave them and his pillow. Hurriedly he stuffed them under his blanket, adjusting them to look like a small sleeping body. Then using the one chair in the room, he stood on tiptoe to reach the security camera. Using one of his tools that he had snuck down his shirt after training, he pried the back of the camera open and began to adjust the wires. At last he got the result he wanted. A small red light that signaled that it was recording blinked on and then off again. A yellow light came on. He had recorded several seconds of the room at large (with him off screen), and now that recorded footage was paused. If anyone were to look at the footage of his room on security, all they would see was 'him' sleeping in bed.

Remy felt quite accomplished as he hopped down from his chair. Now all he had to do is wait and pretend to sleep as the guards made their secondary rounds and he was golden.

When the last room checks had been performed he dragged his bed beneath the vent and placed the chair on top. Wobbling about to retain his balance, he managed to pry the vent railing from the opening. It nearly dropped from his hands, it was a lot heavier than he had assumed. He caught it just in time and laid it on the bed as he clambered up into the air shaft. It was chilly but large enough for him to stand halfway.

He crept along the vent, peering down through the holes. He hoped the girl was on this side of the hall. At last he reached his destination. Peering down he could see the two-toned hair spread on the pillow.

"Psst." The girl didn't stir. He tried again, hoping the cameras didn't have audio. "Psst!"

Her eyes flew open and darted about trying to figure out who was calling. She was about to sit up when he hissed down to her. "Don' sit up. I'm up he'."

Her gaze went up and widened as she saw two red eyes glowing down on her.

"Who are you? How'd y'all get up there?"

The vent clattered and a messy head of auburn hair poked out. Up closer like this, despite his hanging upside down from the ceiling, she could see the weariness and hopelessnes that lined every child's face here. For the moment though, there was an excitement and curiosity that seemed, so, _right_ on his face. He must have looked like that quite often before he came to be here.

He grinned, flashing her his teeth. "_Bonsoir chere_."

She didn't know what to say. A boy was hanging his head into her room as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and she didn't even know who he was.

She asked again. "Who are ya?"

"Name's Remy."

She waited expectantly but there was only silence. "That's it?"

"Should dere be more?" His face scrunched up in confusion.

"Ah dunno. It's just that the people Ah used ta meet at the orphanage would always have two names. Ah thought everybahdy had two names."

"Well chere, I don'." He pointed out as if he were telling her what two and two equaled.

"Ah know! It was just funny. Yo' kinda like Peter Pan."

Remy's head poked down a little farther. The warm glow in his eyes seemed pleasant, though it was strange. Much nicer than the glare of the industrial lights that were used in the day.

"Who's Peter Pan? An' what kind o' name is dat?"

Rogue scowled. "It's da name of a boy in a story Irene was readin' ta me before…" she trailed off.

"Well, what's it about?" He seemed genuinely curious. Truth be told, Remy had never heard bedtime stories or fairy tales growing up on the streets, and then here. Fagan had told some rather gruesome stories of his old days in the guild that many of the boys had hoped to join in the future, but that was the extent of his storyteller ability.

Rogue scrunched her brow. She had only half been paying attention whenever Irene had brought out the small green book, but she remembered the general plot of the story. "It's about a boy who lived in a magical place called Nevahland, an' he nevah grew up. He had lots of adventahs with a fairy named Tinkahbell an' some lost boys. They was always tormentin' pahrates, an' playin' with the indians an' stuff lahke that. Peter could fly too, an' one day he flew ta our world. But he lost his shadow in a house he was a pryin' in one naght an' he went back ta get it. He met a girl named Wendy an' her brothers, who he took back ta Nevahland an' had even more adventures."

Remy seemed intrigued. "Sounds like fun. Wish I could do stuff like dat; but even if I could, wouldn't be much use in he'." The lost look returned as his eyes dulled slightly. "What happened after, wit' him an' de _fille_?"

"Ah don' know. Irene didn't get any farther than that. Ah jest know they went on more adventures. She was teachin' me ta read mahself." His face drooped in disappointment. Remy now looked uncannily like a sorrowful puppy. Then it brightened slightly.

"Well, if we evah leave he', maybe cherie could read it ta Remy?" His demon eyes gleamed with such boyish hopefulness that Rogue smiled, her baby round cheeks framing her sparkling eyes.

"Sho' Remy. Maybe one day, but Ah'd hafta learn ta read bettah mahself." There was a companionable silence for a moment as the two young souls considered that day to come, before Remy spoke again.

"Remy don' know yo' name _fille_." In an instant her expression sealed like a locked door.

"Ah don' use mah name no more, but y'all can call me Rogue."

"Now dat is a funny name. What?" he asked as the Rogue glared up at him. Her fiery temper had been triggered and she was tempted to stand up from lying on her bed and attempt to swat him. She began to shift but Remy ducked back and hissed at her again.

"A'right, _je suis desole_! Don' get up o' da camera will see ya. I ain't comin' all da way ovah he' for _un fillette_ ta get Remy caught."

Rogue settled back again, slightly abashed. He had irritated her, but she didn't want this funny and friendly boy to go away. The cold darkness frightened her and the warm glow of his eyes comforted her.

"Ah'm sorreh Remy. Jest don' make fun o' my name."

"_Bien_ Rogue. _Perdon_ Remy."

"It's okay; but, why did ya come here Remy. Yo' gonna be in a lotta trouble if they find ya here."

"I saw _petite_ wit' de Supreme Lady, what's 'er name, an' Remy wanted to meet 'er. Welcome her ta da place."

Rogue sighed. "It's not a nahce place. How'd y'all get here? Aren't yo' momma and daddy lookin' fo' ya?"

Remy shook his head, flicking his hair from his eyes. "Remy don' got no _mere_ o' _pere_. He was livin' on de streets when dey found him. No one's missin' Remy."

Rogue was startled. Even she who had seen numerous foster homes and orphanages had at least always had a roof over her head and food in her stomach. Remy hadn't even had that. "What happened to 'em?"

"Don' know. Fagan told me dat dey dropped me at da hospital cause ma eyes scared 'em. T'ought dey was too weird."

"Ah'm sorry Remy."

"_Hein_, don' be. Remy never knew 'em, so dere's nothin' ta be sorry 'bout. What 'bout you _chere_? Is dis Irene yo' mere?"

Rogue closed her eyes. "Nah, Irene wasn't mah momma. Ah lived with 'er for a little while cause she was takin' care o' me for a lady named Raven. But den da scary people came ta take me away. Ah don' know what happened ta Irene."

Remy didn't have the heart to divulge what he was sure had happened to her. The crying and wailing that came from the new abductees' rooms was enough to tell him that there was no hope of them ever finding their families again, whether they ever left this place or not. Rogue continued, seeming almost to be speaking to herself instead of him.

"Nevah really had a real home, 'cept with Irene. Just a bunch o' foster homes and orphanages. Last one was in Caldecott county Mississippi. Small town, but kinda nice. Ah nevah did know why those people didn't lahke me." Her tone was sad as she peered up at him. "Where are ya from?"

Remy grinned at the memories of the only city he could ever call his as he replied almost proudly. "N'Awlins Louisiana. Best place in de world. 'Specially 'round Mardi Gras."

"Really? What's it lahke?"

So Remy told her of what he could remember of his city. Even his six year old memories and younger were vibrant and colorful with his tales of the Crescent City. He told her of the delicious Cajun food, the old style houses and gardens, of the hauntingly beautiful graveyards that had been there since the city was founded that would lay pale and mysterious beneath a summer moon. Remy described Mardi Gras: the floats of every color, people in masks and costumes, jazz music ringing along Bourbon Street. Even if the streets and backalleys were all he had known, he only recalled the good of what he had left behind. As he talked, the constricting pain in his chest told him how much he missed his home.

Rogue listened to him as he avidly described New Orleans. She began to feel a longing to see the place herself as he went on, and she settled in, content to listen to whatever he could tell.

At last a tremendous yawn escaped her shell-pink lips and Remy noticed. He looked sheepish.

"_Desole _Rogue. Remy forgot you'd be worn out after de first day. It's 'bout time I headed back. _Bonne nuit_." He began to pull the vent railing back into place.

"Wait!" Rogue whisper-yelled. His head appeared again, cocked to the side in inquiry. Rogue paused. "Remy, are we friends?"

He smiled quite charmingly. "Sho' Rogue. We can be amis."

She had one more thing to say. "If we evah get out, an' Ah read ya Peter Pan, will ya show me N'Awlins?"

He bobbed his head in immediate assent. "Course I will. I'll be wantin' ta see it myself. Remy show his ami de whole city." Rogue beamed.

"Thank ya Remy. G'night."

"_Au revoir mon ami_. _Beaux reves_." With that, his shaggy head disappeared from view and silence stole over the room.

Rogue settled beneath her blanket, a smile creeping over her lips. Somehow, the darkness didn't seem so threatening anymore. Her eyes closed, her mind settling on a pair of ruby and black eyes. _"Friend."_ She thought as a gentle sleep caressed her into slumber.

xxxXXXxxx

Viper sat in her luxurious room, leafing carelessly through the files of all their child operatives. Most of them she glossed over with hardly a double take, while others would hold her interest for longer. Several select few captured her attention for a few minutes at a time. She was studying one of these intently at the moment. Her green lips curved in pleasure; this one held great potential, but as she looked down the long sheets of text her frown of frustration returned. She dropped the file with a snort of exasperation.

"_Can't anything come without a price? At this rate HYDRA will never get out of this dump."_ Just as she thought this, her private phone rang. She answered it.

"Dr. Ristman, I have been expecting your call. I was wondering if your work had you so captivated that you would have forgotten to send me the current status update on our newest project."

The uncertain voice of another woman came over the line. It spoke for some time as Viper listened, growing more pleased as she learned more and more. At last the other voice stopped and waited expectantly.

"Very good. I'm sure your work will speak for itself Dr. Ristman. I will leave tonight, and you shall expect me by ten tomorrow at latest. I hope that what you have to show me lives up to my expectations." With that she ended the call and hit a buzzer on the table beside her. One of her personal assistants appeared in the room, awaiting her orders.

"Prepare my craft for immediate departure. Dr. Ristman is expecting my presence to oversee the progress of Project X-23."

XXX

**A/N: sorry if these chapters seem a little slow. I'm just trying to get things set up for the bigger story line right now. For any ROMY fans or adventure lovers, hang in with me cause I'm getting there.**

French words

_Bonsoir chere – good evening dear/darling_

_Fille – girl _

_Fillette – little girl_

_Je suis desole – I'm sorry_

_Bien – alright_

_Perdon – pardon _

_Petite – little one_

_Mere – mother_

_Pere – father _

_Hein – eh/huh_

_Bonne niut – good night_

_Au revoir mon ami – goodbye my friend_

_Beaux reves – sweet dreams_


	4. Growing Up

**Kudos to those who are still reading this. I hope you find this interesting, though it might be a little shocking later. I tried to gloss over a little. Also, at the end there's kind of a mini-song fic. Forgot to mention, rights to X-men Evolution and the song in this chapter are not mine. If they were, I would not be writing here and I would also be a genius.**

The Paths We Tread

Chapter 3

Remy awoke feeling more rested than he had since being 'recruited' by HYDRA. He beamed at the thought of Rogue; she had wanted him as a friend. Only Rowan had ever been that to him, and that was formed rather out of desperation and survival. They thought of themselves as brothers, but Rogue was different. She had chosen to befriend him. It made him feel as he never had before.

In the locker room where all the boys prepared for the day as best they could, Remy moved to take a sink beside Rowan as he dunked his head beneath the icy cold water of the faucet.

"I talked to de girl las' night."

Rowan met his gaze, looking comical with his face dripping and his hair flopping everywhere. "Why?"

"I dunno. I liked her." He said simply. At this age neither cared how blunt either were about their thoughts. Rowan shrugged and went back to scubbing behind his ears.

They trudged out, expecting to separate as they usually did. Unlike the other days though, a voice came over the intercom, booming out in the echoing corridors so no one could possibly miss the message.

"_**Operatives will be participating in group training today. The first group will begin immediately while the second precedes with breakfast. When group one has completed their session the second will begin and positions will be switched. Training will be halted for the day due to the speciality of this particular exercise."**_ The intercome crackled as the voice died away. The leader of the guards listed off the operative numbers who would be in the first group. Remy was relieved when he and Rowan were put in the second group. However, he became elated when he heard Rogue was in the second group with them.

The children were ushered into the mess hall to eat. Rowan sat but Remy looked around. Finally spotting her, he waved while trying not to attract any other unwanted attention. She didn't see so he made his way to her where she stood beside the white haired girl. He pulled on the end of an auburn curl. Rogue jerked around to glare when their eyes met.

"Ya wanna come sit wit' moi Rogue?"

Her eyes lit up. He still wanted to be friends; when she woke up this morning she was afraid he might have changed his mind. "Can Kayla come with me?"

"Sho' she can. Bonjour Kayla." He waved and Kayla giggled a little behind her hand. The two girls trailed Remy back to where his friend sat. Rowan waved to them as they sat. He seemed shy of speaking and stared at his tray as they ate. After several minutes he looked up, opened his mouth and muttered, pointing at the thin biscuits on Kayla's tray. "You gonna eat those?" After that he had no trouble with their presence.

They didn't talk much, mostly because there was nothing to talk of. All were very short on years and knew very little of the outside world anymore. Two had grown up in orphanages and the other two in extreme poverty. Kayla had lived with her ill mother in a trailer with difficulty in making two ends meet, let alone being able to afford any luxuries. Somedays they went without eating. She had been bringing food home for her momma when she was taken. In fact, this was the best fed and clothed she could ever remember being.

Despite the lack of conversation, the four children felt a growing bond among them, even now. It was just the comfort of another person, even if they were just as scared and alone as you were. Just knowing that there was someone to lean against and to share that loneliness with you made each of them feel a little safer, a little less lost.

As they finished their food the signal blared and the first group stumbled in. It was a short session, but the second group were terrified at the sight of their predecessors, who seemed many fewer than there were before. Their uniforms were torn and scorched, and blood marked most of them. Some limped heavily, some others were unconscious and were being carried by guards. Cries of pain and utter exhaustion and worst of all, an awful despair, rattled the roof with their intensity and volume. They watched as one little girl in the front sank to the ground and lay whimpering. There was a long slash in her uniform and they could see blood trickling down her skinny back. The doctors followed and began to collect those who needed extra attention.

Remy glanced at the other three. Their eyes were wide and fear was clear on their faces. Rogue, however, looked completely petrified. Her panicked green-gray eyes locked on his.

"Remy," her tiny voice shook. "Ah'm scared. Ah can't do that, Ah can't do it. Ah won't make it."

Remy felt a rush of protectiveness toward his new friend. "Don' worry. I'll protect ya Rogue."

Outwardly, Rogue did pout a little. She couldn't lose face by appearing weak, but inwardly she was minutely reassured. Remy would be watching out for her. Still, how much could he do? He wasn't that much older than her, and even if he was more experienced, none of the others his age in the first group seemed to have fared any better than the younger ones.

Remy could see the doubt in her eyes. "Trust me chere." Her eyes softened only slightly.

"We'll watch each other." Kayla said. They all nodded their agreements as they were led to a giant training room, one none of the group had been inside before. The massive doors hissed open ominously.

Inside there were gasps erupting from everyone. There were even a few sobs of terror. The room wasn't even a room, it was a hugh shaft, plummeting down hundreds of feet. Platforms projected from the walls or were suspended by thick wires from the ceiling. The four companions instantly drew closer together.

In the observation room, a hologram of the Supreme Hydra was in conversation with Special Agent Vyce, the man in charge of the project. He stood straight as Viper commanded harshly.

"My orders are clear and I expect them to be followed. From what I saw in your facility, your charges are progressing too slowly and some of them are hardly improving at all. I looked through the profiles of the future operatives and some of their assets that will become available in the future, some aren't even worth keeping. I am on my way to investigate the proceedings of another project that seems to be extracting favorable results. If my orders aren't followed and I don't begin to see improvement, consider the project and your position here at HYDRA terminated."

Vyce nodded but he did speak. "Madame Hydra, your orders will be carried out, but is this the best way? Large sums have been spent on this project and the training of the operatives. Surely we could reroute them to other facilities for more mundane tasks within the organization."

"I know what this will result in. I do not make these decisions lightly. HYDRA can spare the expenses. As I have said the order was simple: weed out the weak from the strong." With that the hologram flickered out. Vyce grumbled but turned to the control panel.

"Begin." He hit the button that would activate the room below.

The platform the children were on rocked. Remy experienced a rush of fear, but not the adrenaline induced fear he normally felt. This was fear for his life. Something terrible was about to happen.

"C'mon Rogue!" He yelled as he leapt for the nearest platform, Rogue on his tail. The moment they had cleared, the platform dropped. Five kids were still on it. The lucky ones watched in horror as they vanished with their last shrieks into the darkness far below. Remy was horror-stricken. This was no regular training session; they were being slain.

Guns appeared from the walls and began to fire. Red hot lasers seared dangerously close to them, and bullets were flying, clanging off the metal walls. Another scream as a boy sank to the ground and didn't move again. Remy could smell the fresh blood. But right now, that boy was not his concern. He had to watch out for his own. He seized Rogue's hand and pulled her onto the next platform. His eyes frantically searched for Kayla and Rowan. Both were safe, on the opposite side of the shaft and dodging danger.

Remy and Rogue's platform shook and the both somersaulted onto the next one.

"Keep moving Rogue! Whatever ya do, don' stop movin'!" He cried to her. Out of the wall a long metal pole emerged, trying to sweep them into the void. They both dropped to their bellies and it swung over them, rippling their hair.

Now Remy was in his zone. He whipped out his bo staff, Rogue pulling out one identical to it. Remy was glad that HYDRA gave them some tools at least before sending them into this deathtrap. The two vaulted over a long gap onto one of the swinging suspended platforms. It rocked as they landed.

Rogue looked up and tugged on his sleeve. "Look out!" She yelled. A gun on the ceiling was getting ready to fire miniature missles down on them.

"Climb," he commanded. They latched onto the thick wires and began to scramble up like monkeys as the missiles blasted away the platform below them. Remy thanked whatever deity watched this that Rogue was athletic already. Probably from fending for herself in orphanges her whole life. "Swing the wires."

They both began to swing. Like jungle vines, they swayed as if caught by the wind and began to move toward a level above them. "Le' go when I say." Rogue nodded as they swung nearly above it. "Jump." They hurled themselves bodily up onto the next platform, landing in rolls.

They weren't alone. On of the oldest of the kids was already there, fighting for his life against three robots. He dodged flamethrowers and missiles. His arm hung at an awkward angle, but he was still fighting like a demon. Remy and Rogue rushed to help, bo staffs whirling. Remy handspringed to the side as the machine aimed for him, sending star discs with sharpened edges flying.

Rogue tried to defend as best she could, but she had hardly arrived here and had little training. The robot swiped at her and she fell to the ground on her back. She rolled as it tried to crush her under its feet. The machine gun was trained on her forehead.

Remy saw that Rogue was about to lose. With a roar of rage he bolted forward. There was a shot and Remy dropped gasping. He had flung himself in front of its sights at the last moment and the bullet had grazed his side. He could feel the warm wetness beginning to stain his shirt.

"Remy!" The robot's arm grew a long blade, raising it to strike. It clanked for a moment and they saw the older boy clambering up its back. He looked down on the two younger kids.

"Run! Get out of here." Rogue hauled her friend to his feet. They barely made the jump to the next level, feeling the fall below pulling at them. Rogue called back to the boy. "Hurry!"

He stumbled back as the machine swung at him with the blade. His foot suddenly stumbled and he fell backwards. There was a flash from the weapon and a howl of agony. The boy clapped his hand to his face, blood leaking from where his left eye had been. He tried to get up as the reddened blade lifted again. Remy turned Rogue away. He flinched and Rogue gasped as a cry and a gurgle reached them, before they had to move again. They both stood, keeping their eyes averted from the newest inert body. Rogue trembled like a frail leaf in a gale.

"Watch your backs!" Came the cry as Rowan and Kayla leapt onto the platform to join them. Flying robotic drones hovered toward them, aiming their blasters.

"Ah got it," Rogue choked dazedly as she threw herself forward, hurling the small explosive discs automatically. They connected and blew the drones to pieces. They were distracted by more screams as a girl fell one platform below them, blood leaking from her shoulder. Rogue whirled. "We gotta help 'er." She began to jump and swing down to the fallen operative. She wouldn't see this girl die like the boy. Her three companions leapt to join her.

This level was far wider than any of the others. They backed away, sheltering the injured girl as even more huge robots approached. Remy hit a button on his staff. Sharp, adamantium blades appeared on the ends of the staff, which he tossed javelin style straight through the lead monolith's head. It collapsed but the others continued their advance. They raised their guns to fire.

"No!" Rogue yelled with fury and charged. It looked so strange, a six year old taking on the mechanical soldiers but her face held enough rage to melt them with a gaze. She plowed her staff into the nearest. The weapon lodged in its chest and it tumbled back into the other two, sending them tumbling away.

They were holding their own, but the screams and wails that were echoing horribly in the shaft were slicing through them like razor blades. Even now they could see an entire group of kids fall to the beams of a giant laser gun. Unwittingly, tears were streaming from Rogue's eyes, her body frozen in shock as she took in the full monstrosity of what was happening. A boy only a few years older than herself was flung to perish in the darkness below. Another two children lay dead, their blood staining the steel that the lay upon, destroyed with one fell stroke of a swinging blade from the wall. Even more bodies lay about, horrible objects with blank and staring eyes. Others were still fighting but were growing weary, and most were injured.

"Why are they doin' this? What's happenin'?" Her shriek of despair rang like a horn blast up and down the walls.

The platform shook. Remy's eyes widened and he reached out, terror clenching his chest. "Rogue, get back!" he screamed.

He jabbed his retrieved staff deep into the metal, his hands seizing onto Kayla and Rowan, while they grabbed the injured blonde girl. The platform dropped. Rogue slid downward towards the blackness. She twisted at the last moment and gripped the edge with her fingers, clinging on for dear life.

"Remy!" He took in the desperation in her eyes and voice. He looked to Rowan and Kayla. "Grab ma shirt." They did and he flipped himself upside down. "Lower me." He inched downward, his fingers stretching for Rogue as he fought to disregard the pain from his wound. "Grab onto me Rogue."

"Ya won't be able to hold me!"

"Trust me, Remy won' let ya go. Now reach Rogue, please." He stretched as far as he possibly could. It was up to Rogue now to grab him, or else fall to her death.

Her eyes widened and her sweaty fingers slipped. With a last lunge of faith, she leapt forward, completely releasing her hold and grabbing for his gloved hand. She clasped her hand with his and he tightened his grip, refusing to fail in his promise. He wouldn't let Rogue die.

"Pull us up." He called to his two friends. They yanked with all the strength in their tiny arms. Steadily, they pulled Rogue up from the very teeth of death. She clung to him, sobs wracking her small frame.

"Don' lemme go Remy. Please."

"I won' Rogue. I promise."

The awful buzzing sounded and the platform lifted again. Rogue still clung to her friend as a bridge projected out toward the stranded survivors. Vyce walked out. He took in the stricken faces; the remaining victims of careless slaughter. Tears stained faces along with blood and sweat, and limbs shook with no more strength to hold them.

"You all belong to HYDRA, that is what you must know. What you have witnessed here today was necessity. What the Supreme Hydra commands is done. Stay strong and don't fall behind because this is the fate that will await those who do not perform as is expected of them. Now, return to your rooms. Training will cease for today, but we continue tomorrow. Dismissed."

He turned and strode away. No one moved, even as the guards came to move them along. All they could see were the terrified faces of the fallen children and the broken, bleeding bodies that lay on the platforms. All they could smell was blood, all they could hear were the echoes of the dying screams.

They stumbled out, reduced to a minimal of what their numbers had been before. Over forty had gone in, less than twenty emerged.

Rogue still clung to Remy. Remy could see Rowan holding little Kayla who seemed in shock. Rowan wasn't much better: his face was ashen gray and his blue eyes were wide and blank. Unconsciously he moved closer to his friend until they brushed shoulders. Remy didn't move away. In less than half an hour, children of six through eleven had been forced to grow up through the harshest lessons of all: cruelty and death. They were no longer kids, but adults, adults who would be facing the hatred and cruelty of the world while cut off from it.

They took their cells. Now the four friends were in one line. Many of the cells were now devoid of owners. Remy and Rogue were in the middle cells, with Kayla on Rogue's right and Rowan on Remy's left. They all lay on their beds. They knew they would not sleep, not today, tonight, or for many nights to come. All they could feel was the darkness of death hanging over them like storm clouds.

A light tap on Remy's wall caused him to roll over towards the wall. He heard Rogue's subdued voice calling hoarsely to him.

"Remy, Ah don' think we'll evah read Peter Pan, or see N'Awlins. Ah think we're gonna die in here." Her voice was utterly hopeless and it tore at her friend's heart. He spoke with as much conviction as he could muster in his own dusty voice.

"No Rogue. One day, we be free. No' just toi and moi, but Kayla and Rowan as well."

"Thanks Remy," came the faint response of Rowan, who had heard everything.

The even fainter voice of Kayla came to their ears, choked with still fresh tears but determined. "We'll watch over each other, like we did today. Promise. We'll always be there for each other."

"Promise." The word was instantaneous and unanimous, but still hushed. There was a moment of silence, then Rowan's voice came to their ears once more.

"You wanna hear a song my mom used to sing to me before she died? I can't sing it, but I can remember the tune and the words. It's been in my head the whole time I've been here. Even though lots of bad stuff's happened, I still feel like momma is watchin' me, no matter where she is, through this song.

Rogue's voice replied. "Thank ya Rowan."

He remembered his mother's smiling face before she had been lost and the song came to mind immediately. He hummed for a moment before beginning to chant the words along with the tune.

"_Your baby blues,_

_so full of wonder._

_Your curly cues,_

_your contagious smile."_

Rogue shivered. She knew this song, she had heard it on the radio once at one of the orphanages. The words had sounded like an angel was calling to her, telling her everything would be alright.

"_And as I watch,_

_you start to grow up._

_All I can do_

_is hold you tight_

_knowing…"_

"_Clouds will rage and_

_storms will race in,_

_but you will be safe _

_in my arms."_

"_Rains will pour down._

_Waves will crash all around,_

_but you will be safe_

_in my arms."_

Remy closed his eyes. He felt the love and conviction in this song. No wonder Rowan still remembered it. For the first time, he felt an ache in himself: a yearning for the tenderness and care this song proclaimed, something he had never known.

"_Story books_

_full of fairy tales_

_of kings and queens_

_and the bluest skys."_

"_My heart is torn_

_just in knowing_

_you'll someday see_

_the truth from lies."_

"_When the clouds will rage and_

_storms will race in,_

_but you will be safe_

_in my arms."_

"_Rains will pour down._

_Waves will crash all around,_

_but you will be safe_

_in my arms."_

Tears still clouded Kayla's eyes. She knew her mother would tell her the very same thing. She had given everything for her daughter despite her illness. Kayla missed her and wished and prayed that she would be alright without her.

"_Castles they might crumble._

_Dreams may not come true,_

_but you were never all alone,_

_cause I will always, always love you."_

"_When the clouds will rage and_

_storms will race in,_

_but you will be safe_

_in my arms."_

"_Rains will pour down._

_Waves will crash all around,_

_but you will be safe _

_in my arms."_

"_In my arms…"_

As the song ended they all lay in silence. They had no mothers or fathers to shelter them now, but they would be safe in each others' arms. Always.

XXX

**Yeah, ending was a little fluffy, but I had to establish that they're sticking together no matter what. Besides, we could use some fluff after mass child slaughter. Hope I didn't scare anyone. **

**That song does NOT belong to me. The song is 'In My Arms' by Plumb, and I think it's one of the sweetest songs I've ever heard. Check it out, but be prepared to shed tears or smile like an idiot if you do.**

French words

_Moi – me_

_Toi – you_


	5. Lost In Time

The Paths We Tread

Chapter 4 – Lost In Time

_Time, the ever marching mantra – _

_never ceasing, ever flowing, _

_the rolling river of years past count._

_Time cannot wait, not for me, in its eternal race – _

_I'm left behind as the world continues on,_

_growing, changing, as I remain the same._

_Who will look for me as I am left behind?_

_Who will spare a glance for a poor soul lost in time?_

_~ Remy gasped as his head was yanked back, the sharp blades grazing his scalp as his long hair was sheared from his head. He was shoved from the chair to admit the next unfortunate child. He ran his finger through what scant locks now remained on his head. Changed, fixed to what his slave masters wanted him to be~_

_~ "Only a few more." Rogue gasped to herself, pulling herself up on the bars with shaking arms, finishing the last chin up. She wasn't just speaking of her workout, but of the days that were flowing past her uncounted, like autumn leaves in the wind. Funny, she couldn't remember the colors that those leaves had been. She just had to convince herself that only a few more days of darkness remained; that soon the hours of pain, exhaustion, and the yearning for the open sky would be but memories. "Only a few more." ~_

_~The four listened as Kayla sang a slow and mournful song in the native tongue of her heritage. It was quiet, only just loud enough for them all to hear the chanting words. It began to lull their abused bodies into sleep. ~_

_~ Rowan staggered and fell. He could feel the blood welling from the numerous wounds on his winced in pain at the awful sting, but he could hear the ones in charge in his head. "No failure. Disregard the pain, no matter what." He pulled himself up, ignoring the hot waves rushing through him from the exposed flesh. Gritting his teeth, he leapt back into the fray, a trail of scarlet laid forgotten behind him. ~_

_~ "I can still remember the taste of a good plate of etouffe." Remy poked at his food dully._

"_Well, maybe you'll get another taste sometime soon." Kayla said. Remy only smiled, but it looked defeated, growing dimmer everyday with loss of hope. ~_

_~ "I think today's my birthday." Rowan said to Rogue. Both were mauling punching bags in a standard gym for the operatives. Over time as they grew older, they worked together more often. A special privilage for maturity one would guess._

_Rogue moved her gray-green eyes to him. "Then, happy birthday Rowan." They both went silent again and their punches flew faster and harder. ~_

_~Rogue pulled her shirt over her head for the average cold shower. For a moment, she looked at herself in one of the many mirrors in the girls' locker room. She was changing; she was taller, and her woman figure was beginning to show itself, even now. She could also see many scars marring her pale skin. With a sigh, she clambered into the shower. ~_

_~As the day ended once again, they all fell into dreams of their old homes. They were changed though: city streets were empty, abandoned houses, with cold winds blowing.~_

xxxXXXxxx

The last training bot fell broken to the floor. Rogue brushed her hands off on her pants. After all the years of trashing them she no longer felt a rush of fear when they emerged to test her skills. Instead, she felt a killer's joy when she would lunge with weapons bristling to destroy them. It gave a dark satisfaction to vent bottled emotions of five years out on pieces of scrap metal that stood no chance against the now-lethal eleven year old.

Rowan joined her. He hadn't hit his growth spurt yet, so he was now a little shorter than she was, but from the lanky build he was aquiring there was no doubt he would be much taller than her by the time he was through growing. His dark hair was constantly in a military cut. HYDRA thought it appropriate that their trainees be kept with modest hair lengths. Rogue's brown and white hair was cut to hang to just below her chin, as was Kayla's.

"You've turned kind of scary Rogue. I could almost see your eyes go red when you got that last one."

"Ah wouldn't be too upset if they did." Her southern accent was fading, but she still kept some scrap of the south. It was harder now too, fiercer with the strains of the years grating into an almost snarl of animalistic satisfaction.

Kayla and Remy joined them from among the crowd of other adolescents and they fell into instinctual step, in one straight line. Kayla had grown beautiful beyond her age, her short white hair gleaming like swan feathers and her eyes gleaming softly set in her cocoa skinned face. Remy had grown and was the tallest among them, his hair also sheared short but his eyes still flamed with the defiant light that refused to die despite the passage of time.

Time had changed the four of them. Kayla and Rogue were now supposedly eleven while Remy and Rowan were or were about to be thirteen. In the five years since they had made their pledge none of them had neglected that promise. They weren't friends for enjoyment of company, but for their very survivals. They had known that some operatives lost themselves in the dark and passage of time, some not finding themselves again, or simply never waking up. These four were each others' life lines. In training they watched each others' backs, ate together, and at night spoke of all that they had never known. They were powerful for their ages, constant training hardening their muscles, hearts, and minds. In them still lived the children that they should have been, but everyday those shades grew fainter as they were replaced by the cold and indifferent killers they were trained to be. The sassy Southern belle known as Rogue had become a fierce and nigh unstoppable destroyer, efficient and bitter. The only tenderness or care she showed were toward the three beside her. Kayla had grown lovely, but the inner and outer beauty was dimmed under the hard mask that few had ever seen her without. Rowan was shrewd, calculating, and brilliant both in combat and in strategy. However, no matter how intelligent he became he couldn't save his friends from this bare and merciless prison. Remy was as protective of his friends as the patriarch wolf of a pack, unafraid of any deed he would commit to protect them. In them all was a hero, but the growing inner darknesses were warping them into machines: destructive and unemotional. Only each other could pull one of their number back from that darkness that had scarred their souls as well as their bodies.

As they walked down the corridors they spoke softly. They didn't look at each other or raise their voices.

"Did you hear what happened a few days ago?" Kayla asked with her gaze fixed ahead of her.

"Course we did, how can dey keep a secret in dis place." Remy responded and they all nodded. It had happened again. They weren't there to witness it, but they had heard that something strange had happened with one of the operatives. None of them knew exactly what had been happening lately, but they heard stories of kids suddenly beginning to glow, or destroying objects without a weapon, or even defying gravity. The first time such an incident had occurred they hadn't half believed it, thinking it was just kids hallucinating from exhaustion again, but when it began to happen over and over again they had to accept that something was changing among their fellow trainees.

Rogue spoke as they entered for dinner. "How many is that now? Isn't this the sixth person now?"

"Seventh." Rowan corrected her. "Another one occurred a few months ago. Not many noticed since it was the middle of the night, but I was awake at the time and heard the commotion."

They sat down to the usual routine of hardly paying attention to what they ate and just talked quietly. Kayla and Rowan continued discussing the reoccurring phenomena, but Rogue was distracted by Remy who was rubbing his arms and flexing his fingers with a tight expression on his face.

"What's the matter?"

Remy's unusual eyes flickered to her. "Nothin' much. Jus' been feelin' really sore lately an' I don' know why."

Rogue felt concern for her nearly lifelong friend, the near constant bitterness in her eyes softening. "Are ya sure ya don' need anything? Ya might have strained somethin' in trainin'."

"Nah Rogue, I'm fine." He reached out to finish his dinner. Suddenly he gasped. It felt like red hot needles were poking him at the wrists and fingertips. In one brief moment, he realized a whole new sensation. He could feel motion in everything, even the vibrations of the dust motes in the air. Warmth glowed from almost everything and he could feel it connected to him in small strings of pulsing energy.

His hand clamped on his water bottle, trying desperately to cling to something while waiting out this new found pain, waiting for it to fade into the background like everything else. It didn't, instead it intensified in his hand like a roaring flame. He could feel the water bottle in his bare hand begin to shake slightly and he could hear a humming noise that was growing steadily louder.

Remy's three friends had heard his gasp and Rogue reached forward anxiously. "Remy, what's wrong?" Then she looked down at his hand and gasped. His trembling fingers were clutched around his water bottle, and the skin was glowing with an unnatural fuschia light. The light grew brighter and flowed out over the surface of the metal, setting the whole thing burning like a dry torch. Remy jumped up and dropped the cup, his eyes flying open from where they had been clenched shut. They flamed like they never had before, the fuschia-red hellish and demonic.

The cup hit the floor and detonated with a crack and screech, the blast toppling the table where his friends sat. They lunged away before shredded metal could cut into them.

Remy staggered, his eyes still blazing, and he tumbled backward into another table. His bare hand brushed the edge and that began to glow too. The operatives around them scattered in panic, not knowing what to make of what was happening. The table blew with enough force to send everyone hurtling to the edges of the room, some singed by the heat.

The boy clutched his hands, unable to stop the raging flames in his bones. The energy pulsing through him was wonderful and terrible at the same time and he couldn't align his thoughts or control his actions in his delirium. He yelled as his hand bumped something else, sending the bolts lashing up his arm and into his head all over again. The never ending motion around him swirled like storm clouds and he could feel the delicacy in everything around him, in the very molecules. So fragile, so easy to split, shatter, break and destroy. He clutched his head to stop the pounding.

Large rough hands unexpectedly seized him by the upper arms and he was yanked backwards. Through his bleary eyes he could see his friends lunging for him, Rogue's face the most panicked and also the wildest. Whatever was happening to him, she was willing to fight, to do anything to help him. Before they could reach him four more guards intercepted them. Rogue lunged like a wildcat and began to claw and thrash, but even more guards came and pinned them despite the girl's growls and cries.

"Remy will be fine." He tried to say but his voice only came as a mumble from the whirling in his head. He was pulled back through the eating hall's doors. He tried to shake away the blur and began to fight against the grip restraining him. His attempts were useless when he felt a prick in his arm and the world went fuzzy, like it had all those years ago when he was first brought here. He wondered if he would wake back in New Orleans after a long and frightening dream. No, he knew better. If anything, he would wake somewhere even worse than here.

xxxXXXxxx

Remy's eyes blinked open, his unique vision flinching from the bright light glaring in his face. He registered lying on something cold and hard, even worse then the bed back in his cell. He attempted to sit up but the tight resistence told him he was strapped down. The young teen began to panic and he struggled to free himself. He felt a harsh slap on his head and he twisted to see a man in a white coat staring at him distastfully.

"Stop squirming. The less you move, the sooner this is over." He looked down at a sheet of paper and scrutenized it for a moment before retreating into the relative darkness at the edges of the large room. As Remy registered his surroundings he noticed strange machines and tables holding metal instruments. His mouth went dry. Understatement of the century: this couldn't be good.

He could hear the nasal voice of the man in the coat speaking to someone else, over an intercom or some such thing as he couldn't hear the responses.

"…always knew this boy was going to be one, just look at those demon eyes of his. It was just a matter of time before his mutation manifested itself." Remy was confused. What was a mutation and why were they saying he had one?

"In what form exactly did the mutation appear? Yes…intriguing. I think the Supreme Hydra will be satisfied with a result such as that, if he can be controlled. The specialist? He's on his way now. I must say that he will be delighted with his newest charge, lately he seems rather bored with his subjects so far. Says that they offer no interest, no challenge. I myself prefer to leave the man to his work. Brilliant yes, but completely psychotic. I'll report as soon as he is finished."

The man remerged from the darkness and began to meticulously arrange the instruments. He glared at the boy on the table. "I hope that the specialist arrives soon. I can't stand your kind, but Lady Hydra pays well and I only have to be here to observe. Are you religious?" The man asked out of the blue.

Remy stuttered and didn't really respond. The man grinned evilly. "Better start praying now, cause I think your appointment is about to begin."

Remy whipped his head around to a set of double doors opposite them and he heard the clack of shoes on hard floors. The doors opened and in came another man in a lab coat. He was taller than the other, and his hair was jet black and slicked down neatly. The light in this room was poor, but Remy could tell that his skin was naturally white. Dark glasses or goggles covered his eyes.

He approached the table and smiled at Remy. His teeth were pointed.

"Good evening. I'm sure that this is all new and rather strange for you, but I assure you that soon it will be second nature." The strange man began to set up around him, and Remy felt distinct fear. This man may speak far more amiably than the other, but the strange and frightening nature that he exuded wanted to send Remy running.

Remy gulped. "W-what's goin' on an' what you gonna do ta Remy?"

The pale man didn't look at him again as he replied. "I will be helping you to better understand your amazing new abilities. My name is Dr. Essex." The man removed the shades showing eyes as red as Remy's own. Essex picked up a long needle that had the teen's eyes widening. He tested the tip and then turned to his newest charge.

"Shall we begin?"

xxxXXXxxx

Rogue bounded around her cell, slamming the walls and hammering on the door. The last she had seen of Remy he had been drooping like a dead plant, his face dazed and twisted with pain. She didn't know where they had taken her friend, but she knew that she should be with him; they all should. They had made a promise. Her shoulder slammed the door again.

An insistent knocking echoed from the wall and Kayla's voice was urgent. "Rogue, calm down. I'm just as scared for Remy as you are, but this isn't helping. If you don't stop they'll take you and lock you in the lower levels." Rogue shivered, everyone had been there at some point and it was an experience none wished to repeat: dark, cold, often wet, and as silent as the grave.

Rogue sank down. "What are they gonna do to him? You saw him Kayla, he was in pain."

They turned to listen as the barely heard Rowan spoke up. "I think **it** happened to Remy too."

"What?" both girls asked.

"The strange things that have been happening lately. The operatives changing and doing impossible things, I think it's happened to Remy too. He was blowing up things with just a touch."

Rowan's logic dawned on them, and they fell to contemplating it. Rogue's mind was racing.

"Eight people now. Ah know it ain't a coincidence now, not after so many people. Rowan, either they're doin' something to us, or we were taken for this very purpose. They wanted this ta happen."

"I've been thinking the same thing. I always knew they were selective with who they took, but I couldn't understand the relationships between us that made us targets." The years of training had honed their minds to think like adults and Rowan was turning into the brainiac of the four. "This must be the reason. These changes that those other kids have gone through, I think it's going to happen to all of us eventually. These were just the first bloomers."

Kayla's thoughtful tone showed she was trying to think straight and simple. "So the reason we're all here is because of these abilities we're supposed to gain. How are we supposed to figure out when they will appear, or in what form?"

"I don't know, but I think HYDRA has a way of knowing. They always seem to know how to deal with the operatives no matter what form their abilities take."

Rogue let out a breath, blowing one of the white streaks of hair from her porcelain face. "This is all very interestin', but what I wanna know is when it'll happen ta us and what they'll do when it does." This met no response.

xxxXXXxxx

Remy bit back the shriek of pain that was building in his throat, unwanted tears welling at the corners of his eyes. He curled in on himself, as much as his restraints allowed, and his hands twitched.

Essex checked the monitor and hummed tunelessly, marking something on a clipboard. "Fascinating."

Remy longed to scream what could possibly be so fascinating that warranted running a high voltage electric shock through him, but the aftermath left him too exhausted to do anything but gasp for breath.

Essex continued to look pleased as he approached Remy. "Very interesting young man. From what I can see, you have massive stamina possibilities, as well as a considerable durability to pain." The only comment he got was a pained moan. The doctor didn't seem put out and simply checked that the electrodes attached all over Remy's skin were still in place.

"I believe I have enough to be able to conduct a real test. I believe that your mutation is actually channeled through your hands, so let us see what happens." Sinister took a small square of cloth and held it to Remy's fingertips. The boy yelped as that heat rushed through him again and the cloth ignited into a merry little flame. Essex's eyes gleamed.

"Promising." He swept the sizzling embers to the floor and instead placed one of his metal instruments in his subject's shaking hand. It blazed magenta and the hand flicked it away desperately. It flew off the table and exploded with a shocking amount of force for such a small object.

"Perfect." Essex turned to check the machines. Remy could feel the sweat on his face and neck. The stabbing pain in his wrists was still flaring. He growled at the vampiric man.

"What is goin' on? Why do ya keep goin' on 'bout my 'mutation'? What on earth is dat?"

Essex turned, eyes gleaming again. "Why, a human mutation is the next step in evolution." Receiving only a blank look Sinister sighed. "Really, HYDRA can certainly provide satisfactory subjects but they don't bother elaborating the most amazing aspects of humanity to those in their possession."

"Have you ever heard of natural selection?" This time Remy nodded. "Well, nature picks out dominant traits in any species to continue to the next generation, making them more capable of surviving. It seems humans are not excluded from this. You, as many others in this world, have the gift of the x-gene which manifests during puberty. This gene gives you abilities that until now humanity could only dream of. This is your mutation, the powers that your x-gene gives you. Because of this you are no longer a simple _homo sapien_. You are now a _Homo superior_, a mutant, the newest and strongest race of humans.

Each mutation is slightly different, though they can be very similar to another. Your's is one that I have not yet encountered elsewhere. You my boy, Remy isn't it? You can manipulate kinetic energy around you. For now, that seems drawing out the kinetic energy in whatever you touch and causing said object to break apart violently. However, with time I believe that I can draw out latent aspects of your power that extend for beyond your current limits."

Remy was trying to keep up. So this was what was happening. The adolescents here were changing into mutants. He still wasn't completely clear on the whole mutant concept, but at least something had been explained. He was lucky Essex liked to chat.

As time dragged Essex continued to talk, but he had lost Remy's attention. Said attention was focused on not crying like a newborn at the many painful tests that the mad scientist was conducting. Dr. Essex cut out a square of flesh from his shoulder to see whether skin seperated from the body had the same kinetic manipulative abilities. Needles were poked through him at different points to trigger various nerves that sent him shuddering. He ran more electric shocks through the teen, exposed him to extreme heat and cold to measure what reactions his mutation gave him, made intricate and deep cuts along his arms to expose the muscle beneath, trying to view the flow of kinetic energy through the muscles. This was all done while Remy was still attentive enough to notice. Eventually, as the hurt continued he retreated into his mind. The agony that was growing steadily was like a wall closing in on him, trapping him, and he only had his bare strength holding back oblivion. Remy refused to let out the screams, feeling that his torturer would only get satisfaction. His mind and body begged the torture to end.

At last, Essex peeled off his gloves and disconnected Remy from the machines. The boy lay there panting, blood on his arms and red needle pricks along the torso. He felt too shaky to stand. His vision was drifting in and out of focus, but not from drugs this time. He vaguely heard Essex speaking to him.

"That was certainly enlightening. I will be seeing you again soon Remy." Remy analyzed those words before he passed out. Again? He would have to endure this again? Wasn't the psycho sadist happy yet?

The next thing that Remy knew his eyes were opening to the familiar sight of his bare cell. Now though, it felt like home and he almost wept in relief. Then he heard what had woken him. A frantic banging on his wall.

"Remy? Y'all right? For God's sake, say somethin'!"

He rolled and winced at the fiery pain, not like being sore after a long day but a piercing burn of penetrated skin and flesh. He looked at his arms. They were both bandaged up to the elbow and his hands were covered by thick and strange feeling gloves. He flexed his fingers and pressed his thumb to his bed tentatively. Nothing happened. The gloves must be suppressing his newfound mutation. His head fell back and at last he answered his friend's concerned pleas.

"'M alright Rogue." He cursed his voice, feeling it wavering and weak. The garbled voices of his friends tried to bury him with questions.

"What happened?"

"Where did they take you?"

"Did ya find out what's goin' on?"

His senses felt tender: the light hurt his eyes and their voices stabbed his ears. "_Sil vous plait_, Rowan, Kayla, Rogue…Remy just need a rest. Moi will explain later."

The voices fell silent, but he could hear the concern in that quiet. He shut it out and rubbed his wrists again. He had changed, and he would never again be what he had been; the flames inside of him proved that. He could still feel that fragility in everything that surrounded him. Having a sudden thought, he tugged at the gloves. Somehow, they wouldn't come off. He searched for a clasp or strap but didn't find one. Remy guessed he should have known; he could blow things up with a touch now, so they weren't going to risk him making an explosive run for it.

He sighed. He didn't know what to make of what he now was. Would he never be able to touch things without these gloves again? Would he ever be able to control this destructive aspect of himself?

His mind was too exhausted to uphold these questions or what might come tomorrow. He was worn out from stress, pain, fear, and uncertainty and as so often happened, the blackness of sleep helped him to escape the chaos that was his young life.

xxxXXXxxx

"So dat's de reason dat dey took us? For our mutations?"

There were murmurs of assent from his friends though he couldn't see them. He didn't know how long he had slept, but his friends were waiting for him when he woke. Again, they had asked him how he was. He told them of what had happened to him, glossing over the amount of pain he had been in; no sense in burdening them with that knowledge. Then again, if what they had told him of their assumptions, maybe it was best that he brace them for what was to come if they were to become mutants. The true magnitude of what this meant had begun to sink in and he was struggling to remain above it, to keep his head clear and to remember that even if he was no longer human, he was still Remy.

"Dey wan' us as dere human weapons. All of us is doomed to de same fate. Jus' a matter of when it happens."

Rogue's voice growled. On the surface it was pure fury, but underneath they could hear all shaky insecurity and anxiety they felt themselves."It's not enough they keep us locked up lahke animals, now we know we ain't even meant ta be human."

xxxXXXxxx

_The clocks have ceased, day blends with night,_

_memories blur with age and the dust of long lost years._

_Have they forgotten me? Who would look for me?_

_One never truly makes it back – _

_Once one is lost in time. _

___ There was a hollow slamming out in the hallway. It was accompanied by screams and howls worthy of a feral animal. The teens all pressed themselves to their walls, listening to HYDRA's newest mutant operative being dragged away. They felt a strange pulsing around them. They began to feel anger and terror. Without conscious thought they began to yell themselves, pounding on the doors and roaring like a raging sea. Another door slammed and the cries of the mutant died away. The rampant emotions died within them and they sank back in the dark, exhausted and silent once again.___

___ The day was over and the operatives were being led back to their cells. Suddenly a gurney emerged from one of the hallways. On it lay the body of a pale girl with forest green hair. Her face was ash white and still, and blood congealed in dark trails from her slightly parted mouth and closed eyes. A wail broke from the group and an identical girl with brown hair lunged forward. She was pushed back and sheparded down the hallway, away from the dead body of her twin, yet another who had been lost in the void.___

___ Remy reentered his cell. He could feel the blood and blisters under the bandages on his gloved hands. His muscles were screaming at him, even worse than they had in the old days. He looked back on those days with an almost fondness. Now he was almost constantly testing his powers, forced into rigorous and often agonizing tests by Dr. Essex. The operatives who had gained their powers had another name for him. The man with the pale face, pointed fangs, and red eyes was known to them only as Mr. Sinister._

_As he sat himself on his bed, he felt the sensation again. Not the tingling pricks that his powers created, but that cold humming and pressure in his ears that had grown to familiar over the few years that he had become familiar with it. He moved toward the right wall._

"_Rowan. What's wrong homme?" The humming grew in intensity and Remy shivered as the chill seized his bones and his ears popped. Rowan's powers, no matter how often he experienced them these days, were highly uncomfortable. From the level they were working now something had Rowan very near terrified._

_Rowan only offered one word. "Kayla." Remy understood; her mutation had manifested. He muttered a prayer to whoever was listening to watch over the girl. The hours passed slowly. Soon, Rogue had joined them and found out about the fate of their friend. They sat in silence and waited for her to return. _

_Eventually, the clanging of the far left door alerted them. Before they could say anything, pain assaulted their heads and they fell to their knees as a piercing ring echoed in their skulls. Through it they could hear Kayla's voice, but it was muttering and crying deep within their minds, double timbered and sounded like it was coming from the depths of a cave. "Pain…make it sto-*gasp…who are all of you? So many, ca-can't stand it. What's happening to me?"___

___Rogue sat in whispering grass in an open field. It was better than anything she had seen in years, but she knew it was all fake. The dreaming sky was shadowed by the steel ceiling, the grass felt like smoke against her legs, and she could feel the stale air that contradicted the breeze that was blowing her hair. Even in her dreams she was imprisoned.___

xxxXXXxxx

The day had started like any other. Waking up, a beginning session, a meager breakfast, and back to training. She had been training her speed and dexterity with Remy. It had been going so well, then the star blade sped toward her. She threw herself backwards but she could feel it cut her face, just missing the surface of her gray green eye. She had felt her body connect to the ground, hear Remy's voice calling to her, and his warm and calloused hands lifting her and caressing her face as he wiped away the trickles of blood.

That was when it had happened. She had been expecting it ever since Kayla's telepathy had appeared, but nothing could have prepared her for this.

Where his palms held her white cheeks heat blazed like hot irons. This she barely registered. She felt instead the awakening of every cell in her body; if she could see herself she would have thought that every inch of her would have been glowing. They all seemed connected in electric tendrils to the roughened skin of Remy's hands and through those connections flooded waves of color, light, and pain. They smashed into her mind that was tossed as a boat would be in a storm. Pounding on every inch of her brain were images and information. Her eyes snapped open and she could see heat, light, colors that she had never seen before. The thoughts in her mind were not hers: the foggy pictures of that glorious city, her own face as it had been when she had first arrived, the raze of kinetic power surging through her limbs, and always a cloud of worry and fierce protectiveness. For a moment, she couldn't recall her own name.

A heavy weight collapsed on top of her and the hands fell away. The flashes of light ceased and Rogue lay whimpering, too weak to extract herself from beneath Remy's prone body. She could hear shouting as she at last managed to roll him off. Her breath caught in her throat. His face, no longer a boy's but a man's, was a blank mask. His red on black eyes were still open, but utterly devoid of anything and dim. The veins stood out in his forehead and neck and his skin was gray.

Rogue choked. What had she done to her friend? Unbidden, a voice that she knew better than any other spoke inside her head.

"_It's alright Rogue chere. Remy'll be fine."_ She gasped as pain twinged in her temples as Remy's voice spoke to her. She didn't attempt to fight as the technicians strapped her and Remy to separate gurneys as she tried to recall whether she was the Rogue that the voice spoke of. She might have been, but her mind didn't recognize this body. Maybe it did, but…everything was a jumbled mess.

Lights flashed by above her on the ceiling, before bare skin brushed her cheek. She screamed as a burst of lights erupted around her and the man that had accidently touched her. He collapsed and Rogue's mind was thrown back into chaos. Her name was Dr. Joshua Martin, a specialist for HYDRA with a wife…no, she was Remy, wasn't she? No, Rogue. That's who she was. She strove to shove away memories and identities that were not hers. _"Remember who ya are, don't lose sight o' who ya are."_

Doors slammed open and she was in a room that she recognized. When Kayla was frightened this room would be projected into their thoughts, the place where Mr. Sinister would torture his subjects like worthless lab rats.

The man was already there. Rogue had never seen him before now, but the whispered descriptions rang true. His red eyes glinted with inhuman glee as he took in the girl and her unconscious victim, looking into red and black eyes that were not hers.

"At last. I have been hoping to see this young woman for some time. The girl with the poisonous skin. This should be fun."

_I lie here in these winter woods – _

_that are condemned to bloom never again._

_I have lost, the race is done, I am left in the dust._

_No more chasing after time, it shall never again be mine;_

_forgotten, a corpse, I shall rest, my grave awaits me._

_The pale white lily shall be my stone – _

_soon to wither, soon to die,_

_like all souls lost in time._


	6. Empty

**Just so you know, this fanfic is set on the same timeline as the show. So the last chapter ended on the same time as the episode 'Rogue Recruit'. This is just how things would have turned out when there is no Rogue to recruit. And sorry about all the time jumps, im just trying to get a lot established in only a few chapters.**

Chapter 5: Empty

That very same evening, in the town of Bayville New York, the newly forming team of mutant teens called the X-men observed Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, demonstrating how to get past high tech security systems in the Danger Room.

"Stop Logan. It is, at the moment, all we can afford." The professor said over the intercom, having just entered the room from Cerebro.

"What can I say? When I give a demo, I give a demo."

Scott sounded skeptical. "Demo as in demolish or demonstration?"

Logan arrived in the control room in time to hear their newest recruit Kitty Pryde speaking. "Is it just me or is anyone else, like, totally freaked by all this? Oh, just me? Great." She said in response to their blank stares. Logan rolled his eyes as Kurt tried to show off for Kitty. Instead of impressing her he simply seemed to spook her even more and she phased from the room.

Logan wandered over to the professor who looked preoccupied. Scott had noticed too.

"What's up Professor?"

The other X-men turned to their founder who's brow was crinkled with contemplative thought. He looked up to meet their curious gazes. "Something that I am not sure is much to be concerned about, but the phenomena has been occurring quite often these days. While I was scanning with Cerebro, I picked up the briefest flash of a mutant signature before it vanished without a trace. It might just be a problem with Cerebro but this isn't the first time it has happened. I will register a signature for less than a second before it disappears. I can never pinpoint the exact location, but the manifestations always occur in roughly the same region. I can also get a glimpse of these new mutants' minds and it's always the same: fear, pain, and desperation. After the first glimpses, I never see them again."

His observations were met with apprehensive silence. Kurt's tail twitched nervously, Jean, Storm, and Scott looked worried, and Logan growled deep in his chest.

Scott was the first to comment. "How could the signatures be disappearing, unless they no longer existed?"

"Well Scott, there are ways to block Cerebro, but only those who knew the technology would know how. Or the answer is that the signatures **don't** exist anymore."

Logan snarled. "You think that whoever these kids are, that they're being killed?"

The professor steepled his fingers. His brown eyes were dark with concern. "I do not know my friend. I believe that we should try to discover more in this matter."

xxxXXXxxx

Vyce sat across from Essex in one of the offices on the upper floors of the complex. The geneticist had just returned from the study of the last mutant operative. The life leech was the last among their acquisitions to gain their mutant powers. They were nearly in the last stage of the project before they were ready to be put to use.

"You have done good work Dr. Essex. Of course, you will remain until the project is finished?"

The man grinned, flashing those sharp teeth. "Certainly. The possibilities for some of your mutants are vast. I have special plans for several of them to increase their already considerable powers."

Vyce sat back. Hopefully this would win back the favor of the Supreme Hydra. She had been showing great partiality to Project X-23 and he was eager to advance the progress of his own charges. Long years and good money had been put into this.

"Tell me of the leech girl. She was one of the most in demand when she was brought here."

"She is a magnificent specimen. Her file says she is just sixteen, a little late for most mutants, but I believe her powers are more developed than they would have been if they had manifested earlier. She is the most powerful leech I have ever seen. From the tests she can absorb thoughts, memories, energy, abilities, and even mutant powers with just a touch of her skin. Unfortunately her powers cannot be turned off, for now at least. I intend to fix that small problem as soon as possible. Even more fascinating, a psychic imprint of the absorbee remains inside her mind, permanently as far as I can tell. This could have unlimited potential. With time, she could access skills and powers that she has previously absorbed. I have not yet tested the limits of her absorbancy, but I will proceed as soon as possible." Essex spoke rapturously of the work that lay ahead of him.

"Very good. You have upheld our business deal well. When the work is finished you shall receive your promised fee: genetic samples and the copies of the records on all the mutant operatives, plus your cash price of fifty thousand. Now I must observe the final stage. Now that our residents are full mutants we can begin our real work."

xxxXXXxxx

Rogue felt in her bones that they were being marched to an end. Over the years, especially in the slaughter when she had first arrived, their numbers had been reduced to twenty six from the original number. It was a cruel game of survival, and not all wanted to see what waited at the end. Now those twenty six were being marched down a corridor none had been along before.

Rogue shivered. While in that room Mr. Sinister had talked while he examined her powers and she had heard something that had horrified her. Ten years. This had been her prison for ten long years. She wasn't a child anymore, in mind, body, or spirit. She had a woman's figure now, long legs and curved hips. Her face wasn't round, but shaped and set. Days beyond count spent training had hardened every muscle.

She looked ahead. Kayla was right in front of her. The Native American's face had been chiseled like a marble statue. She was also taller and more curvacious than Rogue.

Her eyes then fell to Remy and Rowan, men of eighteen. Rowan, true to former assumptions, was the tallest though Remy wasn't far behind. His features were straight and sharp, but his blue eyes were still as soft as ever.

Remy, if seen in any other company, would have turned every female head his way. His auburn hair was still bowl cut but gleamed even in the poor lighting. His face had lost any childish roundness long ago, replaced with high cheek bones, a straight nose, arched brows, and a full mouth. He stood over six feet with muscles long and wiry like a panther's.

Rogue knew that this wasn't where they belonged. They should be out in sunlight, with friends or family and living life as it should be lived. Instead they were buried. Ten years or more without sunlight or fresh air.

They arrived and it felt like they were being led to death. The metal doors hissed open and each young adult was led into the room. Twenty six chairs that would have put the electric chair to shame in inflicting fear awaited them. Rogue was forced into her chair and strapped in. She felt a small pressure in her mind and she gratefully opened her thoughts to Kayla's telepathy.

"_Courage everyone. Whatever happens, we're together in this."_ The message was reached out to all twenty six of them. Rogue could hear the panicked thoughts of the others. Only her three friends remained steady.

A hiss echoed and the panic escalated to barely contained hysteria. Devices were set on each of their heads, the bands settling across the forehead and the crown. Blinkers flicked down over their eyes, but not before they caught the glint of several monstrous needles. She could hear one voice over the rapport. _"God help us." _Rogue recongnized the voice. It was the voice of the blonde girl she had saved in the massacre; her name was Tracy, a technopath. _"They're mind wiping us."_

Cries shuddered over the connections, but another girl's voice was heard, hard as steel. _"They can't unless we let them. Fight it, don't give in."_

"_De femme's right. Stand up to it. Dey're takin' de last t'ing we have an' we can't let 'em get it."_

Rogue said nothing, but her defiance rang like tolling bells through their minds.

Rogue felt a prick, very faint. Then shots of pain, violent and swift as bee stings, as the needles were driven through the scalp, flesh, and through the skull itself into the vital points in the cerebrum. The cries she heard this time touched her ears and not her mind.

Rogue fought the wave of nausea at the spinning and aching pain. She could fear the sharp points in her brain and it was inflicting an apocalypse of a headache. Kayla's voice spoke once more as the blinkers before their eyes began to flicker.

"_Together. We promised."_ Rogue's mental image reached out and joined hands in a circle with her friends. Even in her psychic form, her hands hurt as they were squeezed tight. She knew she was doing the same. They were clinging to the only solid things they could.

The blast of light in their eyes hurt, almost burning their retinas. Fire and ice pulsed down the needles and into their minds.

Rogue felt her body seize up and begin first to twitch, then to writhe desperately. More pain, always more pain. Her mental self felt a pull like a giant vaccuum at her back. Turning her head she saw a massive black hole on the astral plane that was attempting to suck away all memories, relationships, personality, trying to leave her an empty shell.

She seized tighter to her friends' impressions as they too were being pulled away. Wails reached their ears as the other mutants gradually vanished into the black holes, but they clung tight.

An awful feeling afflicted them all, like they were cracking apart slowly. Rogue could feel something slipping away and she fought the urge to cry. The one thing she thought they would never take, her God given name, was being taken where she could never get it back.

"_Leave it be."_ Kayla screamed over the roaring winds in their minds as their earthly bodies thrashed and yells pounded the walls and ceiling. _"All we need to know is that we aren't slaves, that we were meant to be free. Remember each other, and nothing else matters."_

They all slipped away. In the beat of her heart, Anna Marie was gone. With a flash of light, the name Remy was lost. Just as quickly the titles Kayla and Rowan were gone as well.

Lightning flashed on the astral plane and they held strong. Smell of food, feel of wind, all were let go as they held tight to what was truly important.

One last bolt jolted their minds before the machines powered down. The mutants lay exhausted, unable to move, most stripped of themselves and left as husks.

Limpid eyes blinked open. Anna Marie was gone, but the Rogue remained. That piece of her had remained. Her gaze flicked to her friends. They were still her friends, but tears pooled in her eyes as she realized she no longer knew their names. Her own mind felt strange to her; nothing was familiar. No memories of her time before her arrival here, emotions wiped away that she had knew had been there before. There were things that had become clearer though: the massacre, memories of pain and training. Her name was gone, yet she had managed to hold on to her relationships with the other three, and the name she had given herself. It truly was her only name now. Several seats down, the boy with the red and black eyes blinked then met her stare.

"Rogue." He whispered. He had remembered as well. She tried desperately to find his name. He was truly the most important person in her life and her first friend. The looming void began to terrify her. There was nothing to find.

She choked back a sob and turned her head away. Her hands clenched tightly on the armrests of her chair. The bitterness and anger and pain was growing into murderous rage. The world began to shimmer red and needles pricked her hands. She heard a humming and her eyes flicked downwards. Her hands spread kinetic charge through the chair as the guards ran to apprehend her. It shattered beneath her and she wasted no time.

Rogue flew from her bindings and her eyes had changed from oceanic to demonic. Several of the operatives stared in shock, their minds wiped absolutely. The teen girl's face was twisted and she lunged for the first guard, not caring for her intent. He tried to subdue her but she seized his jacket, snarling like a rabid wolf. The force of her tackle knocked them to the floor, toppling the other men. Her hands glowed and his clothes caught. She rolled away before the man went up in a bonfire.

Another guard managed to stand and tried to grab her again. With shocking strength she threw him off before stumbling backwards. Her hands were bare. She connected with skin and it blazed with light as she felt the rush of energy into her mind with a brand new power. Her teeth grew sharp, black fur sprouted all over her, and claws grew on her fingertips.

Her eyes were wild, but she could hear yelling. She looked to see a fierce blonde girl struggling in her bonds. The same look of bloodwrath inflamed her blue eyes and Rogue knew what she wanted. With the kinetic powers still in her possession she set light to the chains, blowing them to smithereens. The girl jumped up, a grin on her face. Her feet lifted from the floor and she shot forward, bowling them over.

Behind them the other teens were roaring, wanting the fight, wanting bloodshed. The blonde round house kicked someone who went flying into the wall. They opened fire on her but the bullets just bounced off harmlessly. She yanked one of the bolted metal chairs from the ground in retaliation, swinging it like a club. Meanwhile, Rogue was using her friend's powers to release the others. They broke out with a vengeance.

Rogue leapt back in, claws flashing through the throat of a man in her way. He fell and she took on the next, burying her teeth in his shoulder this time. The taste of warm blood was awful but satisfying along with the man's screams. The emptiness inside fueled her rage further and she worked faster and faster; tearing, ripping, clawing, slashing, biting, leaving a mass of blood behind her. She could hear the other mutants taking their revenge, but she was too preoccupied by her own. She had waited long years for this. Ten long years.

A whining pierced the air at a deafening pitch and something that felt cold and almost slimy collided with them. It wasn't tangible, but it caused them to collapse. They seized their ears as blood rolled down from their eardrums. Rogue could feel the fur retracting on her face and the claws inching back in.

The mutants looked up to see Mr. Sinister standing there holding a small device in his hand. His pointed smile was still on his face, but his eyes flashed in such a way that it had them cowering like dogs. The guards at last subdued them.

"A very avid demonstration. Would the two leaders follow me?" He asked pleasantly.

Rogue and the blonde were yanked to their feet and pushed past the geneticist. The blonde spat at him. "Go to he-," but her curse was choked off as a mechanical collar and metal leash was placed around her neck and she was jerked like an erring hound. An identical collar was placed on Rogue's neck and they were both pulled into the dark corridor. Rogue cocked her eye behind in just enough time to see the frantic faces of her nameless friends before they vanished.

xxxXXXxxx

Xavier pulled off the headset of Cerebro. He knew that what he had been detecting was no glitch now. It had been about a week or so since that night he had decided to investigate further. He wheeled to the window of his office and looked outside. The sun was shining, but not where he had just been. For the briefest instant he had seen a glimpse of many united minds, minds intent on slaughter. Young minds.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to push away that horror that he had felt in that instant. The mental impressions that he had registered were teenagers, the same ages as his X-men, but they were dark and haunted. Something was definitely wrong and he had to do something about this. He thought of how he was discover any more information on occurances such as these. An idea emerged. It was a long shot, but about the only thing he could do. He could hear the laughter of his students outside, getting home from school. He could distiguish each of them: Scott and Jean, his first charges; Kurt, rambunctious and playful; Kitty, bubbly and innocent; and Evan, their newest member. If he could save these young people from whatever terrible thing that was happening to them, he would take that chance.

"_Logan." _He called the man telepathically.

"_What's up Chuck?"_

"_I need you to get in touch with your old associate, Nick Fury."_

xxxXXXxxx

Rogue was back on the cursed table. She could still taste blood on her teeth. Beside her the blonde was still struggling, but against the unbreakable bonds she stood no chance.

Sinister returned to the room. Vyce remained behind in the shadows, watching the proceedings with pale eyes.

Sinister glanced over the two girls carelessly. "You really should behave. The more trouble you cause, the more comes your way."

The blonde got away with her tirade this time. Having rough HYDRA guards around one almost 24/7 gave one a vast and colorful vocabulary. Sinister just stared with amusement as she cussed him out, her eyes flashing like chips of ice.

When she stopped at last for breath he simply rapped her with a thermometer and turned to a set of monitors that he began to adjust. "Strong language Ms. Carol Danvers."

The blonde jolted, uncertain. "How can I be sure that's my name? And why tell it to me right after I've been brain raped?" she growled.

"I assure you, that is your true name as it is on your file. The reason I tell it to you is that I feel it unimportant whether you know it or not now."

"Why?"

Sinister ignored the question and just set the monitors, connecting the two girls to them. They became more frightened. What was going on? At last Sinister turned and answered.

"Just a little experiment that I have been considering for some time now, by consent of course. Yet now, it is killing two birds with one stone: conduct a vital experiment and punish troublemakers."

Rogue gasped as a cold metal claw seized her by the wrist as Sinister undid the bindings on her right arm. It dragged her hand up and slowly began to lower it toward the blonde.

Carol's eyes widened and they darted to Sinister. "Devil!" she snarled and thrashed with manic desperation. Sinister simply shrugged.

"Not the first time I have heard it. I hope it isn't too unpleasant for you my dear. Truly it is unfortunate what must be done. You powers would have been a great study, but you are a handful. And I suppose I'm really not losing your powers. Just fitting them into a smaller package."

Meanwhile, Rogue was crying fitfully now. She knew that her powers inflicted pain as well as caused it in herself, but she didn't know what would happen if she didn't let go. She had put one of her weaker peers in a coma for three days with a touch just longer than normal. "Ah'm sorry!" She sobbed continually as her hand came closer and closer to Carol's face. "Ah'm so, so sorry!"

"Not your fault," said Carol, her face set in a stoic mask. Her eyes flashed to Sinister with bitter hate blazing in them. "I swear by whatever I once held dear, you'll pay for this."

Rogue's hand touched Carol's face. The lights blazed again, but her hand couldn't move away. Rogue felt the typical pull of powers, thoughts, and mind into herself but then it changed as the lights continued to flicker. The pull became stronger and more deeply painful. Her heart sped up, but in her ears she could hear two heartbeats, both beating to the same frantic rythmn. For a moment her vision blurred, like she was seeing two sections of the ceiling at the same time. Her mind felt like it was being physically beaten, shoving it aside as a new one settled in beside it. The pain peaked and both girls screamed louder than they ever had, even more than when their memories were being purged. For an instant they were one person, merged into one mind between two, one body between two. Then Rogue felt a snap like a breaking cord and Carol's arching body fell slack onto the table. Rogue shuddered with a last shot of pain like a lightning strike as a massive strength settled in her limbs, her skin hardened, and she lifted an inch from the table. The room seemed to shrink and she felt claustrophobic, and she longed to break free and find the open sky. Then she too fell limp. In her head she heard a faint wailing from poor Carol before it fell silent in the far reaches of Rogue's mind.

xxxXXXxxx

The sun was setting over the Atlantic ocean, setting the sky in a beautiful array of tropical colors. It was especially lovely over Bayville Bay.

In a trashy house in one of the lower class neighborhoods of the city a woman sat in the one neat room in the house, an earpiece in and her eyes scanning the screen of the laptop that sat on the desk. The woman wasn't ordinary. She had blue skin, yellow catlike eyes, and flame red hair past her shoulders.

Mystique listened to the earpiece, but her attention was elsewhere. It was her job, assigned by Magneto, to keep tabs on communications to and from the Xavier Institute. Magneto wanted to know of any mutants Xavier intended to recruit hoping to reach them first. Mystique was normally brutally focused on her tasks, but today was different.

Ten years. Exactly ten years to this day that her dear friend had been murdered and the girl had been taken. Not just a girl Mystique reminded herself, _her daughter_.

When Mystique had adopted the little girl the main purpose had been for the girl's destined powers. Yet when she had met the tiny southerner, she had seen something endearing in her. Her spunky attitude and unshakable stubborness had left in Mystique something she had never felt for anyone but Irene: care, even a tenderness.

The cold woman had seen many dark things in her life, but it had been a deep wound when she had arrived at the house in Caldecott too late. The door had been blasted in and the living room and little Anna's bedroom had been ransacked. The worst was Irene. Raven hadn't cried, but the lonliness and grief inside of her was no less for her dry eyes, when she had seen the dignified woman and her oldest companion lying dead on the floor with a bullet to the back of her head. The girl was gone.

A crash from downstairs caused the shapeshifter to jump slightly. She hadn't realized how much she had lapsed into the memories. She stalked to the door and threw it open. She could hear yelling coming from downstairs.

"Don't make me come down there! Nothing had better be broken or there will be hell to pay." She bellowed down to the living room. The bickering fell like a bird in hunting season. She slammed the door and went back to work.

Over two hours she listened to several inconsequential phone calls between the kids and their friends and a call from a telemarketer. At last she heard Professor Xavier answer the phone. The caller ID was unknown. She turned up the volume to better hear the conversation.

"Xavier Institute."

A voice that Mystique recognized and detested came over the line. "Never thought I'd see the day where Logan called me instead of the other way around. Said you had something to ask about."

"Yes as a matter of fact. Something has come to my attention that I find disturbing. From the activity I suspected that SHIELD would know something about it, seeing as it is their job to regulate situations such as these."

Fury sounded bored. "What exactly is the situation?"

"I have been detecting a lot of recent mutant activity lately, but each time for never more than a moment. I am able to get a swift glimpse of the minds I detect and the impressions are always ones of deep distress."

Fury paused before asking a question. "Do you know where these mutant impressions are coming from, where they can be located?"

"Not yet. It's along the east coast of either North America or Canada, that is all I can discern for now."

Fury humphed but he sounded rather pleased. "This is a fortunate development. We've been on to something for sometime now and I think that what you've provided is the key to busting this wide open. Can you tell what powers those you've detected have?"

"The only clear one I had a reading on was confusing. Female I believe, but I couldn't lock onto her mind. There was interference, like she wasn't the only one in her own mind."

Mystique jolted a bit. What had Destiny said to her all those years ago? _"The power to draw in the minds and energies of others with just a touch of bared skin."_ Mystique shook her head. It couldn't be possible. She strained to hear perfectly, in case there was more. Unfortunately, Fury seemed wary of divulging any more information over a line that might be bugged, which it was.

"Keep an eye on this situation and alert SHIELD if anything new develops, especially if you discover the location."

"I will consult with my team on this matter and we will be in correspondance soon. Thank you for your time." There was a click and the line went dead.

Mystique removed the earpiece and set to record. Could her daughter have been found after a decade? She wouldn't tell Magneto about this, not yet, but she would be keeping a very close eye on this from now on.

xxxXXXxxx

Night had returned, as far as they could tell. The nameless four sat in a circle in a field of purple mist, conjured for their convening by the telepath, a common ground for all of their minds. However, they were no longer four. The young blonde woman sat hunched in the circle of the four friends with her eyes downcast. Unlike the others she was slightly transparent with no body to return to. Rogue sat near to her but didn't look at her. It was agreed among the other three that they wouldn't speak of it. Carol was brave but she was clearly shell-shocked that she was only a consciousness in someone else's mind. Rogue was horror stricken by what her power had made her do. She had made several attempts to apologize to Carol but the other girl would only wave her off, making her more disgusted with herself.

They looked into the darkness around them. They could hear the faint murmurs of the absorbed psyches in Rogue's mind, but everything else was empty. The memory wipe had been crude, more an experiment than a normal procedure. It had erased many memories but hadn't replaced them, so they knew that they had had them once but no longer. Where they should have had memories of their young years was only couldn't remember anything of their time before here: the boy with black and red eyes knew he had lived in a beautiful city and that he had promised to take Rogue there, but he couldn't remember its name or what it looked like. The girl with gold eyes couldn't recall who had cared for her when she was little, though she knew someone had. No one could really picture what the outside world looked like.

The snowy haired girl shivered.

"I feel naked, without a name. I know I had one but I can't reach it."

The two boys stared at the misty chess board that sat in the center of their circle. It was one of the few recreational things that HYDRA had allowed and they were all very good at it. Skills hadn't been removed from their minds, just what was important to them personally. The dark haired one made a strategic move and captured the demon eyed one's knight. The dark haired one sighed.

"I never knew that not having a name would feel so lonely, so _wrong_. I guess we should be grateful that we were able to hold on to what mattered most of all." He dropped his hand for his opponents turn. His fingers twirled and small sparks and tendrils of silver-blue light played around his fingers. With a flick of his wrist the platinum light went shooting off into the misty darkness. A rumble like thunder rolled in the distance and the light flickered.

The demon paused. "Dey may have taken our Christian names, but we's not nameless. I t'ink ev'ryone was born wit deux names, une dat no one knows 'less you let 'em. Like Rogue."

Rogue looked at him curiously. "So y'all are sayin' we should make up names or somethin'?"

"Exactly."

"Like what?" His chess opponent inquired as he took his turn. The others were now listening with interest and even Carol had lifted her head.

"Somethin' special 'bout each o' us. Somethin' that sets us apart from ot'ers."

The dark haired boy smiled almost skeptically, shooting off another of his white-blue bolts into the mist. The demon watched and pointed triumphantly. "Dere's yours. The Archer, wit' arrows o' energy and cold flame 'stead o' wood an' steel."

"Archer. I like it." They turned to the girl with gold eyes. Rogue thought and found one that fit, at least she thought so.

"Y'all made us promise to stick together. You began this. You were the Genesis."

Genesis sighed, a weight seeming lifted from her shoulders. "Genesis will be my name. I never thought it would feel this good. Of course, we can't forget our newest sister." She smiled sadly at Carol who dipped her head gratefully. "You're willing to keep fighting, even if you have no body anymore. That's amazing, Ms. Marvel."

Carol laughed, albeit sadly and somewhat bitterly, but her eyes weren't quite as dead anymore. "I don't know about a marvel, but I won't lie down until Sinister is in his grave. Just, I don't know how to do that yet."

Rogue turned to her. "We'll find a way. Sinister said that Ah can let absorbed psyches loose in mah head so Ah can use their powers. Maybe we can get ya out one day, somehow. Until then, Ah prahmise that the next time Ah see that sick excuse for a humanoid being Ah'll rip his head off for ya."

Carol smirked, cold glee shining in her metallic blue eyes at the thought. "Thank you Rogue."

They all turned to the last of their number. Rogue cocked her hip and turned her head. "An' what about you Demon Eyes?"

He didn't respond but turned to make his move in chess. He contemplated the board before moving a pawn. Archer instinctively swiped the pawn from the board. Red eyes gleamed as the black queen took the open space to checkmate the white king.

"De Queen's Gambit. Gotta sacrifice somethin' for de greater good of de game, de team." He murmured. He raised glowing irisies to his team, who didn't question his analogy on sacrifice for the greater good. "Gambit'll do."

**This chapter was up a little sooner than I expected, because I'm going on vacation and won't be able to write for at least a week. Hope you enjoyed, and don't worry, they will get out eventually.**


	7. Solemn Hour

**Hello people. Yes I'm back from vacation and still working. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter!**

Chapter 6: Solemn Hour

_Five months later…_

Black night shrouded structures and snow as dark clouds obscured the celestial bodies. A building was situated strategically among a large cache of warehouses in the gloomy cityscape, grime and smoke from factories adding to the darkness.

There were no lights on in the low slung building, but it wasn't deserted. A shift of movement below the metal overhang could be seen and the figure of a man continued his slow pace, his weapon poised and his eyes scanning the grounds around. He didn't think to search the shadowed sky.

A flicker passed over the the pale ghost of the covered moon and the small outline descended swift and silent. The man on patrol never heard a sound until he felt cool hands on his neck. A bolt of pain and a swift blink of lights saw the man out cold on the floor, a shapely figure standing over him.

Rogue pulled her gloves back on. The work Sinister had been doing with her was painful, but it managed to supress the worst of the absorption. She sidled over to press herself flat against the wall, running over the information that she had taken. She had what was necessary, she just had to wait for her partners to arrive.

While she waited, she contemplated the now familiar and unlimited strength that was running through her limbs. She experimentally lifted from the ground a few inches and hovered. Rogue lapsed into her mind and called out.

"_Carol? Y'all right up here?"_

Materializing from the gloom of the back corners of her mind was the image of the young blonde woman around Gambit's age. Her blue eyes looked on Rogue mournfully and shrugged.

"_Fine I guess. Not much has changed since I'm still imprisoned, like I was for years anyway. It's just your pain that I experience now and it isn't my body. You almost did me a favor."_

Rogue trembled with rage. Even if it was no difference for Carol, Rogue felt sick every time she thought about what Sinister had made her do.

Rogue still had nightmares about being chained down and being forced to absorb the fiery girl entirely. It was an utter violation of their minds and bodies, but they had been helpless to stop it. Now Rogue had Carol's powers and a permanent brainmate.

"_Carol, Ah'm…you know Ah'm sorry. Terribly sorry for what happened."_

"_It wasn't your fault. It was those…monsters, creatures that did this to both of us. Especially that sick Sinister." _The psychic image of Carol snarled. _"I'm not happy about the arrangement, but what can I do? You aren't the enemy here."_

Rogue felt the sadness as Carol's impression faded away and she returned to reality. She didn't have much time to dwell.

There was a faint blast of pink light and a 'blink' noise was heard and two people appeared. The first was a girl with pink skin and pupiless green eyes, and the second was Archer. Both were dressed the same as Rogue was: synthetic black with armor at the arms, legs, chest and shoulders. Both carried quivers over their backs and Archer had a long bow made of metal almost as long as his wingspan.

Archer nodded to her. Over the earpieces that the three teenagers wore came instructions.

"_**Nightshade operatives, enter phase two. Enter at the predestined area and make your way to office five. Seven floors down, third door on the right. Dispose of guards, disable security, make no noise. Phase three in ten minutes."**_

Archer stepped up to the wall. He pulled out a palm pilot like device and scanned the schematics. With a nod he placed his bare hand against the steel. It wobbled almost like silk and they could see the room beyond the wall. Archer's mutant power was able to manipulate the strength and stability of molecular bonds. With just a touch the molecules of steel began to slowly drift apart, allowing the three operatives to pass through silently as ghosts.

They checked around the room. To the untrained eye it just looked like a typical office building, but they knew better. They could spot the hidden cameras, the motion triggers, and the small laser generators along the floor border.

"_**Nightshade operative 16 take the motion triggers, 9 has the lasers, 26 shall disable the cameras. Phase three in eight minutes."**_

Rogue lifted from the ground and floated to the cameras. Using her inhuman strength she crushed the camera lenses and pried the backs open, pulling out the wires. Archer sent bolts into the tiny motion triggers from his longbow, while Nightshade 9 did the same with her pink javelins into the laser generators. In less than thirty seconds all security was eliminated.

They made their way to the private elevator, also knocking out any clue to their being there. It moved slowly downward as they counted seven floors. The doors slid open to reveal a tall and dark shape.

Without hesitation or even a noise the three lunged and had it pinned, weapons out. When red eyes glinted at them from their captive they slid off and Gambit rose to his feet, unfazed by their sudden attack.

"I got de security system down here shot. Nightshade 13 is getting' t'rough de mainframe's blocks an' passwords."

The four arrived in office five where Nightshade 13 had her hands spread over the master computer, her lips and eyelids twitching in concentration. She sighed and retracted her gloved hands. The screen requiring a password and voice id vanished. A black screen replaced it momentarily with white letters and numbers scrolling rapidly down before that too gave way to the main page.

Rogue stood by the door with the other two she had arrived with, guarding. Gambit drew out a USB drive and began to download the files on the computer. Smooth sailing so far.

Suddenly alarms began to blare and red lights flashed. The earpieces crackled again._** "Mission compromised. Abort."**_

"_Chere Dieu."_ Gambit growled but didn't stop what he was doing. The operatives could hear pounding footsteps over their heads but they didn't move or panic. At last the USB drive was full. Gambit yanked it out but by now the guards had reached the hallway. They wouldn't get out without a fight.

They all pulled up facial masks, adjusting the eye specs. Night vision clicked on. They all fell to the sides of the room. It swung open and they sprang like hunting cats. Knives flashed and guards fell with cleanly slit throats. Even more were coming.

Gambit tossed the drive to the pink girl. "Take de technopath an' complete de mission." She obeyed, throwing a spear of light that teleported their hacker out of the room with a blink, and then vanished herself. Gambit, Archer, and Rogue were left behind to make it out as best they could.

Rogue darted into the hallway, disregarding the bullets that were colliding with her steel hard skin. Picking up a guard in each hand she mercilessly bashed their heads together and let them fall. Blue-white bolts flashed by her, bringing rubble crumbling from the ceiling.

Gambit lunged out. He pulled out three metallic spheres from a belt pouch and tossed them. They glowed like tiny suns before lighting up the hallway and detonating with roars. He dropped down as bullets whizzed by his head. He stuck out his hand as another round fired on him. They sizzled before splitting apart. He felt the breeze of another bullet just miss his right hip but it tore through the pouch that held his spheres. They clattered over the metal floor and left him weaponless. Nearly. He hated using this particular application of his powers, it hurt like heck, but the alternative was being shot.

"Down!" he ordered. Rogue shot backwards and Archer pulled back into the office. Summoning all of his strength, he let the power of his kinetic energy spread through his body. Instead of letting it out he held tight to it and felt it pulsing inside of him. With a yell his eyes glowed and the light spread over his skin before exploding outward in waves of searing energy, pounding the guards backward and pulverizing the concrete walls around them. He could feel his feet lift an inch or two from the ground before he collapsed down again, his energy all used for now.

The hallway was clear. Without hesitation Rogue swooped forward and seized him under the shoulders and flew for the elevator, Archer on her tail.

Instead of waiting for it to take them up, Rogue simply smashed up through the ceiling and carried the boys up the shaft.

Gambit was still weak, but he managed to pull out of his other pouch a metal tube. Pulling it in half he tossed it into the main floor area and smoke poured out, shielding them. Rogue set them down and smashed through a wall as they ran behind. They ran full tilt into the shadows of the tall warehouse buildings that lined the alleyways.

Another figure stepped out of nowhere and that familiar ringing touched their ears. The sound of footsteps behind faltered, slowed, and then they heard thumps as bodies hit the concrete ground.

"What are ya doin' here?" Rogue inquired of Genesis.

"I was the back up plan. Here they come again."

Did these guys ever give up? The four were backed up against a wall as more of the guards poured around the corners, and they were surrounded on all sides. Only one way out now.

"Hold on to your lunch." Rogue grabbed her friends and threw herself into the dark sky, feeling the wind of the gunshots just missing them.

Rogue struggled to gain her air balance, having the compromising weight of three young adults clinging to her and messing with her flight pattern. At last she was able to balance out as they held on to her as best they could as she shot off over the buildings. They were home free. She frowned; no, they weren't. The Rogue shook her head and flew off.

The buzzing. The night sky vanished and they were back in the training simulator.

The HYDRA officials seemed pleased with the outcome. The Nightshade operatives left. With new powers everything had changed. There were hours spent in developing and controlling their abilities, simulation tests, and worst of all, pain conditioning.

Rogue didn't walk with her friends anymore. After the memory wipe they were much more scrupulous in concealing the bond between them. The memory erasing hadn't been completely efficient, so several of the teens were able to keep some remenants of themselves: a face from the past, a favorite food, and if they were truly lucky, their own name. Not much, but whatever it was it was always kept locked away like a precious jewel.

Footsteps as soft as a cat's approached and Gambit was walking beside her. Not close, but near enough.

She looked over and saw him watching her strangely. He hesitated before he spoke quietly in his deep voice. "Rogue, can I talk ta you fo' une minute?" she was confused but she followed him discreetly down a side passage and into a small storage room.

Gambit honestly didn't know what he was going to talk to her about. Ever since they had lost their memories and she had been forced to absorb Carol, an odd sensation had been building inside of him that he was unfamiliar. Lately, he felt even more protective of Rogue. He had always deeply cared for his first friend but he had never felt such an urge to throw himself in front of her in every training session. It was irrational and totally unnecessary what with her invulnerability, plus she would be furious with him if she believed he thought her incapable of handling herself. Yet he couldn't deny the compulsion or the pitching in his stomach every time he looked at her now. It was a pleasure now, to take in her shapely face, porcelain skin, full lips, and pale jade eyes. Gambit shook his head. All his training was meant to prepare him for any situation, to never be caught off guard. Nothing such as this had ever been addressed.

"Rogue…" he stuttered out as she watched him in confusion. He took a deep breath to continue. "Rogue, lately Gambit's been feelin'…well, I can't explain it much, but…"

That was as far as he made it. There was a rumble of footsteps and voices. Not the voices of the mutants.

They both ducked into the darkest corners and remained absolutely still, eyes narrowed and faces lowered to reduce the risk of reflected light. Shadows flickered by the half open doorway and the tread of footsteps passed them by. They filed down the stairway at the end of the hall and moved below them, entering into what they knew was a conference room. The voices began to drift upward through the small ventilation grate in the floor. They sounded agitated and even panicked. The two mutants looked at each other, exchanging glances of confusion and curiosity. They both drew closer to the vent without making a noise. Rogue knelt down and Gambit bent over her. They were startled when they heard a voice that they all knew but hadn't heard in years. The thick accent and cold authority was unmistakable. If the Supreme Hydra was here this must be very important. Rogue felt a rush of hate before the words meant anything to her.

Viper was furious. "It's over I tell you. This project is compromised." More confused looks exchanged.

Vyce's shocked voice was heard next. "How is that possible? No operative has ever escaped or even been out of the facility yet. We are positive no money has passed in revealing this location."

"There wasn't." Viper growled. "It was a snooper. The tip to S.H.I.E.L.D. was supposed to be anonymous but we were able to retrieve some information. It seems an extremely powerful telepath in New York state detected the manifestations of our mutants and decided to dig. He pinpointed our location and reported to Fury. SHIELD will be here in mere hours, five at the least."

Vyce was nearly in a state of panic, Rogue and Gambit observed as they eavesdropped. "What now? All other transports are out and we wouldn't be able to get the operatives out in time while still containing them from escape. Plus having to copy records and then destroy all base files and information…"

Viper halted him. "There isn't a way, but we must keep SHIELD from retrieving any records, or worse any of the mutants."

Again Vyce asked, "How?"

Rogue and Gambit leaned in, listening with bated breath. What new fate awaited them?

Viper paused, then her replied with steel in her tone. "Terminate the project. Completely. Blow the base and make sure that SHIELD finds no one. Alive at least."

Rogue met Gambit's red eyes. They were terrified, just as her's must be. Only one thought crossed her mind. _"No. Not again." _Rogue could hear her heart beat quickening and her vision growing blurry with panic. She could hear the screams again, and smell the coppery stench.

Gambit seized her arm and pulled her to feet despite her trembling knees. He wasn't much better himself, but the overwhelming protectiveness he felt for Rogue was defying his fear. Like last time, if they wanted their lives they would have to fight for them.

"C'mon Rogue chere." He muttered shakily in her ear, careful not to brush her skin. "We c'n do dis, jus' like de las' time. We have ta find Archer an' Genesis. We gotta warn de ot'ers."

Rogue inhaled. She found courage in his near warmth and familiar scent, her mind at last settling enough for her to think straight. She nodded and he pulled her from the room. They tiptoed around the corner, beginning to hear the HYDRA officials ending their meeting. As soon as they were clear they took off, running as swift and silent as hunting wolves, wary of bumping into any guards.

Rogue closed her eyes. Genesis might be able to hear her thoughts if she projected the urgency hard enough. In her mind's eye she was back in the misty purple field and though she couldn't hear, she knew that her mind was calling to the telepath.

The familiar curvy figure materialized from the gloom, concern etched on her pretty face. "_Rogue, what is it?"_

"_No time now. Where's Archer?"_

"_I think he returned to his cell."_ Rogue felt panic again. That would most likely be where the hitmen would strike first.

"_Meet me an' Gambit there as soon as ya possibly can. It's life or death."_ The gold eyes widened but she didn't question, merely vanishing again back into the mist.

Rogue was jerked back as Gambit yanked her to a halt. There was despair on his face. Rogue looked and saw what he was seeing.

The other mutants were all gathered in the mess hall, eating while they had time. None of them noticed the subtle shadows slinking into the room, headed by two more distinguished figures: a pale man with long blonde hair and a red suit, and a smaller reptilian man with a red spec over one eye and a long green cloak.

Inside the mess hall Omega Red and Gauntlet watched the oblivious young mutants with cold amusement. Gauntlet sniffed the air and grinned as he muttered to his companion. "I do love a nice, challenging hunt, but there's nothing like a slaughter to clear your head and keep you on edge."

"The orders are clear. I shall begin." Omega Red growled as he stepped into clear view of the mutants. The teens all looked up with confusion written on their faces. It didn't last long.

With no prelude, long whip-like tentacles of metal shot from Omega Red's wrists. They twined around the neck of the nearest boy, snapping it so quickly they hardly knew what had happened before he slumped to the ground. Once they knew, they were swift in the uptake.

Metal benches and tables clattered to the floor as the condemned mutants fled as fast as they could. Guns fired and several of them fell to the ground, dead in a second. The doors slammed open and they thundered out in a stampede. It was every mutant for themselves.

Gambit dragged Rogue to her feet and plunged into the fray, heading for the holding cells. There were blasts as more guards rounded the corner. One of the mutants shot a blast into the guards but they began to swarm him. The two could hear his scream as they fled.

Throughout the base the mutants were making desperate bids for escape, but they wer far outnumbered and trapped. Some would fight, but none could withstand for long.

They swept around the corridors and skidded panting into the hallway where they slept. A guard stood there with his gun trained on an open door; Archer's room.

Before Gambit or Rogue could do anything, three things happened at once. The trigger pulled back, the guard screamed and slumped to the floor, and there was a yell of pain from the room.

Genesis stood over the guard, panting as her fingers flew to her temple and she wobbled from the strain of the psychic blast. Gambit ran to catch her while Rogue swung around the corner. Archer was alive, but a red stain was spreading over his shirt from his shoulder. His blue eyes flew to her.

"R-Rogue, w-what's going on?" She pulled him to his feet.

"It's now or never. We get outta here tahnight or we die tryin'." The full reality of what she had said hit her. They would be free tonight, one way or another.

"C'mon you all." Gambit called and the four fled the room. They had to get out, but they didn't know the way. They stopped where four hallways opened in front of them.

"Dis way." Gambit took off down the right hand hall, the others coming up behind.

"How do you know where to go?" Genesis asked as they twisted through the maze of dark corridors and hallways.

"I don'. Gambit's just goin' wit' his gut. Now keep runnin'."

They rounded another corner and skidded to a halt, spying a familiar face. The technopath blonde was crouched in the corner, blood clotting on her leg and her eyes blank. Her hands were knotted together and pressed to her damp forehead. Her voice was near insane and she seemed to be muttering along to a grim song.

"_Sanctus Espiritus, redeem us from our Solemn Hour._

_Sanctus Espiritus, insanity is all around us."_

Rogue knelt next to the trembling girl. "Come with us. We can escape, we can be free." Her lifted eyes were now desolate and there was surrender in her voice.

"No escape." She rasped. "I can never be free. Leave me, let them come for me." She turned away and continued to sing in a voice choked with sobs.

"_Sanctus Espiritus, is this what we deserve, can we break free – _

_From chains of never-ending agony?_

Rogue watched the girl in despair, then rose and continued with the others. Before they were out of ear shot she could hear the girl call faintly.

"Don't forget us. Don't let our memories die here in the dark." Rogue stifled a cry as the girl vanished behind them. She had lived this nightmare for nothing. Rogue skidded to a halt and the others turned to her and stared.

"What are you doing Rogue?" Archer asked frantically.

Rogue's face was hard with resolve. "We can't just let them do this. We have ta do somethin'."

"Rogue, there's only four of us, and they will know how to kill us. The only thing we could do would be to die here beside them. Then no one will ever know and will never avenge them."

Rogue thought. An idea came to her and without enlightening the others she disappeared back down another passage. Without question they followed.

"The Supreme Hydra said that people were comin', that's why they're doin' this. If we can preserve some evidence then they'll know." The others said nothing but followed. It was the least they could do for their fallen fellows.

They were able to find that cursed laboratory where each had been experimented and tested on. Rogue hastened to the computer and began to hack into the system as the others looked around for hard files. Rogue began to download the files of the mutants, but when she reached those of her and her friends she hesitated. The mouse moved over the desk and deleted the four files. She pulled out the hard drive and reached to the floor. A solid punch drove a deep hole into the linoleum and she placed the hard drive inside. Swiftly, she covered the hole again in the rubble and hoped that whoever these people were that they would look for evidence carefully.

The others had found where they kept the files of the mutants but the storage space was empty.

Rogue joined the other three. They had done what little they could, and now they had to escape. A fierce longing to find the sky that she couldn't remember coursed through her veins and Carol became restless in her mind. "Let's go," declared Archer.

Suddenly the doors to the lab hissed open. They all whirled ready for guards. Instead they were met with the smirking red gaze of none other than Mr. Sinister. Under his arm was a bundle of folders stuffed with papers; the mutant files.

Carol growled like an animal in Rogue's head as he crossed the room nonchalantly and picked up one last file lying on the table. Without a word he turned back around to leave the room. At the last moment he turned and stared at them with a smug and truly sinister expression on his face. "Pity, wasting so much valuable mutant blood. Yet, they are in charge of their possessions and there are many more fish in the sea. I wish you _five_ luck and I hope to see you **very** soon."

That snapped it. Rogue felt a rush of pain and vertigo as she was flung into the far recesses of her own mind. Carol had taken over.

Controlling Rogue's body, Carol lunged forward with every intent of crushing every bone in Sinister's body to powder. Unexpectedly he raised one white hand. From it came a yellow blast that knocked her backwards into the floor. She crashed down and created a woman shaped crater. Archer didn't hesitate to blast a javelin of unstable molecular energy toward Sinister. It caught him square in the chest and burned a hole right through him. They all stared in amazement as it sealed right back up again. He sneered at them. "You will have to do better than that."

Carol/Rogue snarled again and lunged. This time she got hold of the front of his lab coat and knocked him rolling to the floor. The files scattered about. Carol twisted about, trying to get a firm hold on the man who had worse than killed her, but before she could a searing heat assaulted her nerves and she rolled away with a scream.

Before they could fathom it Sinister was back up, the files in his arms again, and the door hissing shut. He leered at them one last time before it shut.

As he disappeared Carol lost control and Rogue became owner of her body again. She flew forward and pounded on the door. It was sealed shut and even with her superhuman strength she couldn't break it down, only bending the metal plating with her furious efforts. She then flew to the other door while Archer and Gambit tried to blow the former down to no avail. The second door was impregnable as well. Rogue could hear footsteps echoing closer on the other side.

"Trapped!" Archer whirled around, desperately searching for any way to escape.

For a moment Rogue was at a loss and exhausted and sank to the ground. _"We can't give up here. We're so close. So close…"_ She could feel the answer tugging at her mind, just out of reach. She grabbed for it but it wouldn't be had. Her head bowed, defeated. In the ten years that she had been here she had never given up entirely. Not through the massacre, the training, the experiments, the memory loss, none had ever been enough to break her. Now though, so close to freedom that they had only dreamed of for long years, she felt her heart beginning to crack. Maybe they should lie down, should give in to defeat…

Warm arms wrapped around her and she shuddered. It was an entirely new feeling, this feeling of care and protection that now surrounded her.

"You can' give up now chere. Gambit's here. Ya promised ta read him dat book, and he promised ta show Rogue his city. We're here wit' you, don' give up."

Her eyes blinked open to meet the eyes of a demon who was really an angel. The answer struck.

Leaping to her feet she almost smacked herself. The voices and footsteps were outside the door now and they could hear a hiss as they began to pry it open.

"Stay here. Ah'll be right back for ya." The southern girl rocketed up and smashed through the ceiling. Tearing metal and cracking concrete screeched in her ears. Why hadn't she been able to think of this before?

Suddenly she felt lighter and the air was less stale. The quickening of her pulse told her she was near the surface. Crashing up through one last floor, there it was. The sky was black with roiling clouds, but the air was fresh and there were no ceilings holding her back. For the briefest moment she reveled before plunging back down.

She burst back down through the hole to find her friends preparing to fight as the door groaned on its last effort before it broke.

"Let's go." Just then the door blew. The guards rushed in to face the fierce faces of four mutants. Like cornered beasts they had become wilder than ever.

Rogue shot forward and swept one man up, breaking his neck in her frenzy. They were scraping freedom and these men wouldn't take that from them. Gambit's fingers trailed sparking fire as his eyes burned like a bonfire, dealing out explosive destruction with Genesis beside him. The garnet-eyed woman's hair billowed out behind her as psychic blasts shot from her. Archer had drawn his bow and his icy bolts rained down. His shots were hectic because of his injured shoulder and they landed all over, melting the floors and starting fires.

They raked through the crowd of guards like scythes. They had almost won, but no one had noticed a single gunman sneaking around behind them. Gambit whirled to see the barrel aimed straight to his heart.

"Gambit!" Shrieked Genesis as she clutched his arm. The crack and bang was deafening and he felt the wet tear of the bullet right to his pectoral. The pain lanced up and he staggered back into Genesis' arms.

Rogue screamed and charged the man, sending him flying into the wall and cracking his head. She turned unable to breath.

Gambit was still awake despite the perfect shot to his chest. His eyes were slightly foggy as he looked down. The wound was there, but the hole was surrounded in light. It sparked and he could feel the bullet inside of him crumble and disintegrate. The fuschia glow flashed bright for a moment before it vanished, leaving only a red stained tear in his uniform. The other three stared until Rogue shook herself, her knees weak with relief. There would be time to puzzle over the mystery later. They weren't safe yet.

"Ya'll right?" Blearily he nodded and he stood straight.

"Then let's blow this hellhole." She seized them and took off up through the rough hole she had smashed above them.

The four breached the surface and found themselves on the roof of a building. Lightning cracked and lit up their surroundings as rain began to sheet down. The building was all on its own in a grassy and rockstrewn landscape rife with hills. They turned and heard the crashing of water behind them and looked out over the black and raging ocean.

"Run for it!" Gambit yelled in a shaky voice and the four ran for the edge. Shadows suddenly swept up and surrounded them. Gauntlet and Omega Red stalked forward, backing the four up to the edge closest to the ocean. Rogue peered over and saw that the building was right on the edge of the cliff. Sharp rocks and hungry waves waited below.

Gauntlet sneered. "So close, but this is the end of the line." He raised his blaster to fire and kill.

To his surprise, the girl with the auburn and white hair stood up straight, and the others followed her example. They all took a step back.

"You're right. This is the end." Simultaneously, they all fell backwards into the void.

Rogue closed her eyes and felt warm fingers closing over both her gloved hands as the wind rushed past them in their plummet to the rocks. She knew that all four were linked, together. There was a blast of wind force and then they felt the crash and sting of arctic water as the waves closed over their heads. They sank into blackness.

xxxXXXxxx

The hallways ran with blood. Viper surveyed the sight of a boy and a girl slumped against one another as their bodies leaned into the wall. Their eyes were blank and sightless. Her eyes swept over the rest of the carnage. A whole project gone to waste. SHIELD would pay for this.

Her aid approached her. "Lady Hydra, detonation of the base is in five minutes. We must get you to your transport."

Wordlessly she turned and followed him out of the building. She entered her aircraft which took off smoothly from the island. She stared out the window at the now abandoned building. A light flickered on the lowest floor before a roaring explosion tore the building to flaming shreds. A giant mushroom cloud billowed upward, the funeral pyre of the dead within.


	8. The Last Night and the First Dawn

**So how was the last chapter? Hopefully it was satisfactory, and now on to the REAL plot. Oh wait, just a little flash to our heroic X-men…yes, I'm keeping the ROMY back and I feel evil pleasure but take relief that I'm not too cruel. It's coming soon-ish. Plus, I'm not going to go to much into accents at this point because we all know how they talk and it's a hassle to write. So, only a few accent words.**

**Oh and by the way, the snippet of song in the last chapter was not mine, it was called Our Solemn Hour, hence the chapter name.**

Chapter 8: The Last Night and The First Dawn

_Several hours previously…_

The phone rang. Kitty Pryde phased her arm back through the couch to grab the phone when she realized that it was coming from upstairs in the professor's office directly above the common room. She shrugged and went back to typing on her laptop until she heard the intensity of the conversation upstairs. She couldn't tell who Xavier was talking to, but from his answers he was certainly tense.

"Yes, I was glad to offer the assistance. What? Oh dear. Yes of course. Logan and I will be there as soon as possible." The phone was hung up and Kitty could hear the professor leaving his office.

She rushed out of the room to see what was going on, not looking where she was going, so she collided painfully with Scott, knocking them both to the ground. His hand flew to his face to make sure his glasses were still there.

"Kitty? What's the hurry?"

"Don't know. I heard the professor talking upstairs and he like sounds totally freaked. Well, not totally freaked, but as close as he gets to it." She shot off again, phasing through walls to move faster. Scott followed.

The commotion had summoned the other X-men. The professor was talking urgently to Logan in the foyer before Wolverine hastened away in the direction of the elevators to the lower levels. The X-men crowded around the professor before Scott shushed them.

"What's up Professor?"

The professor's face was very grave. "The strange detections I've been receiving on Cerebro, well, I've finally been able to locate their position. Strangely, they are centered in a deserted island archipelago several miles of the coast of New Brunswick in Canada. You are all familiar with SHIELD from past experiences?" they all nodded. "Well, they are out to investigate and Logan and I are going along. Unfortunately, they have reason to believe that whoever is holding mutants there are aware that we know their location. We are hoping to get there in time, before whoever is there can escape."

"Right on professor. Suit up X-men."

"No Scott." He halted them as they were about to hurry off. "_Only_ me and Logan. You all have had enough trauma after Magneto and Asteroid M. Especially Scott and Kurt, discovering long-lost family members."

Kurt cringed a little. In the fiasco where Magneto had been kidnapping and pitting mutants against each other to join him in his asteroid colony, they had ended up working with Mystique, who they had believed to be their school principal Ms. Darkholme. During the fight, Mystique had revealed to Kurt that she was in fact his biological mother. The news had shaken him, but he had learned to accept. He wouldn't let it stop him from this mission.

Scott also had found someone that he hadn't seen for many years. His little brother Alex had been found by Magneto and had helped them defeat him in the end. After he and Scott had very nearly joined him. Scott shook his head. That was in the past now and Kurt was speaking for them.

"Please prof, ve're fine, ve vant to help. Especially if zese people are hostile, you might need our help." The X-men all agreed.

The professor at last consented, leaving Storm in charge of the mansion. At least the summer had arrived and the X-men wouldn't miss school by tagging along. Logan came upstairs to announce the jet ready to go.

In less than fifteen minutes the jet shot out into the blue sky and they were in the air. The kids were all on edge. Truth be told, the adventure with Magneto had been the only true mission they had been on other than recruitment before and it made them jumpy. All except for Scott who was holding his composed leader persona together. What could be the answer to this mystery, where mutants appeared for less than a second and vanished without a trace?

They were out over the Atlantic when a communication crackled over the PA system. A ruff voice spoke.

"_**So you decided to bring the whole posse. Well, just so long as they don't get in the way they can stay. This is a serious mission, not one of your mutant escapades, so let us handle it and we'll let you know if your services are required. Otherwise, keep your noses out."**_

Wolverine growled at the speaker. "As soft on words as ever Fury. Don't step on our toes and we won't step on yours."

"_**Fair enough,"**_ the voice sneered before silencing. Right after, a squad of military choppers with the SHIELD badge on the sides dropped in around them.

They flew on and the sky grew darker as they flew under menacing clouds. At last the comlink spoke again. "We're approaching our destination." There was a pause and then a heavy swear word echoed from the speaker around the cabin. "Too late," the man snarled.

The X-men peered forward through the dark clouds until they saw it. A fiery pillar of smoke was billowing upwards from a miniscule, uninhabited island. Xavier put his fingers to his temples but released the position a moment later.

"Nothing."

The choppers and X-jet landed near to the smoking wreckage. They all climbed out and the teenagers felt a distinct feeling of deep dread. This place seemed to radiate an aura of doom. Logan sniffed and wrinkled his nose. He leaned into Xavier and muttered.

"Too much. Fear, sadness, blood, fire, despair…death."

Nick Fury stepped out of the nearest chopper and surveyed the remains. He growled more cuss words in a long string before summoning his agents toward the burning remains. He turned to the X-men.

"If we need any…assistance, than we'll let you know." He strode off to join his crew.

The X-men stayed outside of the jet. The teens felt annoyance, they wanted to do something. They had come here to help solve a mystery, not sit on their rear ends.

That was before the first bodies were removed. The SHIELD agents emerged first with two stretchers, both supporting body bags. A limp, burned arm dangled from one of X-men stared, feeling rather sick. They had never had to deal with death before and it wasn't pleasant. As even more and more emerged their horror grew. How many people had been in this place?

After about two hours Fury approached. His face was twisted into a frustrated expression.

"All we know is that all the dead inside were mutants. Nothing else, no records, no preserved evidence, no anything."

Scott stepped forward. "Sir, we could help in the search. We won't get in your way."

Fury didn't look too thrilled, but hey, might as well have some extra hands digging around. "Alright fine. You can join in, but anything you find report right back, understood?"

They all readily agreed and entered the ruins. It had been a huge complex, but only sub-basements and a teetering structure remained. They separated to search.

Kitty and Kurt stayed together, picking their way carefully through rubble. Kitty tried to suppress a shudder. "What could have been going on here Kurt? It's seriously scaring me just like thinking about it."

"Zat's vhat we're here to find out Keety." The two wandered into the wreckage of a room that was just barely identifiable as some kind of laboratory. There were blasted pieces of computers and other paraphernalia scattered about. Kurt began to rummage around in a corner while Kitty moved off toward where the computers were.

The valley girl tripped and wobbled over the rubble. Frustrated, she phased her feet downward. She went a little too far down and her feet went into the floor itself. Unexpectedly, her intangible toes detected something that felt odd, out of place. Curious, she bent over and put her hand into the ground and felt about. Kitty caught the strange object and brought it back up. It looked like a big USB drive…

She held it up and yelled to Kurt. "I think I found something!"

Her friend bamfed over, examined it momentarily, before vanishing again to gather the others.

When she handed the device into Fury he seemed pleased. "It's genuine. Let's see if it's any value to us."

While his agents continued searching around he and the X-men headed back to the X-jet. The kids were quietly congratulating Shadowcat on her find while Logan, Fury, and Professor X loaded the drive and began to download the information to display.

They gathered around as the screen came to life. It blinked and then it came on.

There were only pictures at first, with information on them listed on the side. Pictures of kids, no older than six or seven. They seemed healthy, but their little faces all wore the same expression: fear and confusion.

The pictures began to blink by, showing more of them. Then more pictures of the same kids but a little older. It kept going like this; it was almost like a silent movie as the pictures rolled and showed the mutant kids turn to adolescents then teens, changing the entire way. Faces grew older and more shaped. What was even more noticeable were the worse things. As the faces aged, they grew thinner, paler, and gained scars. Their expressions changed rapidly, but by the teenage photos they were all the same. Their gazes were stony and hopeless, with a cold bitterness and broken submission to their fates in their eyes. Even in the photographs their eyes were faded.

Then videos began to play. A droning and emotionless voice stated information.

A girl with blue-green hair it seemed came on screen. She was in a training room of some sort where giant robots were firing on her. She ducked and weaved about, no powers in use. The voice rattled out.

"_Mutant Operative 43. Future mutation asset predicted as animal mimicry. Training level: average. Time in acquistion: twenty six months."_

Many more videos such as these were displayed of separate mutant kids in intense training. Then another video came on screen. It was a split screen visual, so two scenes played at once. Two groups of the children were standing on a platform. A loud and deep blare echoed and at the same time, both platforms on both screens dropped.

The X-men watched as in both feeds, several kids fell yelling for their lives into the pit. Kitty's and Jean's hands flew to their mouths, Kurt looked horrified, Scott's jaw tightened, and Evan could be heard to mutter a hushed 'oh man.'

They went on watching as more and more of the children were slain. The professor pinched the bridge of his nose and Logan was supporting a steady growl in his chest. He felt a painful bite of a memory ghost in his mind. He knew he had endured things like this when they had given him his adamantium claws, but these were just little kids for lord's sake.

That cut out. Next came videos of power manifestations and experiments. Kitty got sick and turned away as they watched a boy with the power to regrow limbs have both legs chopped off. His grainy screams over the feed made it even worse. Fury just watched with a blank face, chewing on his toothpick fiercely.

Years of pain and incarceration passed before their eyes as they watched on. By this time, several of the SHIELD agents of higher rank had joined the viewing. Some of them winced. As tough as they were trained to be, to watch such blatant and merciless torture of young people was hard to bear. The mind wiping was perhaps the worst to endure for all.

Then a clip appeared that was very short, so few noticed it among the other gruesome scenes,but one of the agents near the back did. It was of two young women, one blonde and the other with two toned hair, who were strapped to tables. The girl with the strange hair was forced to touch a bare hand to the blonde. Lights erupted around them and they both cried out. The blonde fell still and the other just barely lifted her head from the table, trying to break free with a strength that she hadn't seemed to have before. For a brief instant, her face was shown clearly on screen.

The agent near the back gasped infantesimally and her eyes flashed gold. The disguised Mystique took in the agonized face of her long lost daughter. There was no mistaking it despite the long years: the white skin, the gray-green eyes, and the two tone hair, her Anna Marie. There was also a shred of the defiance that Raven Darkholme had been so strangely charmed by. Then the image was gone, going on to further cruelty.

At last came the camera feeds from that night. They watched as each mutant was hunted down and destroyed. At last, the screen went black and it was all over.

Fury leaned back. "Well, now we know what they were doing and who they were; HYDRA, a renegade spy and terrorist organization. Trying to train mutant kids to become their puppets. I guess we foiled that plan. Now we just have to find the survivors."

The X-men looked at him in confusion. Scott spoke up, his voice hoarse. "There were no survivors. We saw all the current captives listed and each one was taken out. We checked."

Fury threw him a look. "Yes but what you weren't trained to see was that the files listed were incomplete. Whoever downloaded this info for us deleted some files and feed from being placed in this drive. I'm guessing that whoever it was escaped."

"How can you tell that files were deleted and if they escaped or not?"

"The first is obvious. When they were listing operatives four numbers were missing: 23, 57, 72, and 75. I'm guessing since the files on these mutants were excluded then these four were the ones that saved the files. I also saw that if the numbers were accurate that the video feed on four mutants being eliminated were missing. So, until we have solid proof such as this, there are four survivors out there."

Fury dipped his head to the X-men. "I owe you thanks for uncovering this, but from here on out SHIELD can deal with this. You can leave." It was polite but nonetheless a dismissal. The professor consented, knowing there was little else they could do here. No one had seen the female agent with gold eyes slip from the jet.

The X-jet took off into the dark night. The teens were very quiet, unable to speak of what they had seen.

xxxXXXxxx

The darkness on the edge of her brain was withdrawing, but she was unable to wake up. Foggy images of what had taken place flickered in her head. How long ago had it happened? Last night, a week ago, a year? She didn't know.

She remembered fear, and death. They had been running. Then they had fallen. It had felt so terrifying yet so enthralling to just plunge with no hold in life.

How had they survived? Truthfully, she had never really intended to survive the fall, forgetting at the time her invulnerability. Genesis had read her thoughts, only observing the intent to step over the edge. It was better than being slaughtered by HYDRA's lackeys.

She tried to dig up the memories of that time. They had stepped back, she had admitted that it was the end, they had joined together, and then they had fallen straight towards the rocks. Then she recalled the blast of wind. Where had it come from? All she knew was that it had pushed them away from the rocks, landing them in the icy depths. It had hurt, the intensity of the cold, but at least it was the pain of the world and not the torture of slaves. They had sunk into the deep, but then…

There had been a strong current that had carried them away. They had broken the surface, struggling to stay together as they were tossed around. Then the waves had slammed them into cliffs. That was the last thing she remembered.

At last, green eyes slid open. Her eyesight was cloudy and she was barely able to see anything. Beneath her the ground was grainy. She smelled salt and seaweed. Every part of her body ached and her throat burned from the inhaled ocean water.

Rogue blinked until at last the bleariness was removed from her vision. Her cheek was pressed onto damp sand and the palest of lights was leaking from the corner of her sight. Despite the freakish ache that was pounding through every muscle in her body, she heaved herself up into a sitting position and leaned up against a rock wall.

It was a small sea cave, a tunnel worn into the rock by currents that no longer reached into it. It was pretty long and wide and wound back towards the hint of light she had seen. The ceiling was low, so that a reasonably tall person would have to bend over so as not to bump their head. Rogue felt a jolt and twisted her head and then relaxed.

Her three friends were there, all passed out cold on the sandy floor. Genesis looked graceful even sleeping, Archer was flat on his back and snoring faintly, while Gambit was leaned against the wall with his chin drooping to his chest. They were all disheveled and covered in sand.

Rogue rolled over onto her knees and stood, every movement cautious. She may be invulnerable, but near constant battering still hurt. The leather HYDRA uniform she wore was still damp and uncomfortable. She shed it quickly down to the black synthetic shorts and tank top that she wore underneath it, also kicking off her boots and allowing the sand to sooth her feet. With a last quick glance at her companions she began to pad softly up the tunnel towards the gleam. As she made her way through the twisting passage a faint trickle of a breeze tickled her face and lifted her short hair slightly. Her heart pounded wildly and her pace grew faster until she was almost sprinting. At last, she reached the opening and she caught her breath.

The sky was still dark, with the horizon growing an eggshell pale in the east. Beneath the predawn sky the ocean shone faintly, a deep royal blue with the small waves crested with silver.

Rogue stared in a trance. The only memories left to her were of steel and stone, and after so long with that being the only thing she knew, this was the most glorious sight she had ever beheld. Her mind was frozen, her thought processes unable to work, letting instinct take over for a time.

Tentatively, she stepped out of the hole in the cliff and hovered in the empty air. With a sudden burst she rocketed forward and shot out over the open stretches of water.

With an exhileration she had never known before she dove towards the waves, the cool air whipping her hair around her and chilling her face. She relished it, her hardened skin defying the majority of the cold as she let a hand trail through the waves, sending up a glittering spray. It splashed her face and she trembled in ecstasy. All this time she had missed it, the wide world, and now she was in it, feeling it.

She pulled to a sudden stop and soared up, higher and higher until she reached the clouds. She rolled and dived and breached among the fluffy surfaces. She still couldn't think, it was just too amazing to believe this was true. Then she just flew up and up until her lungs burned with oxygen deprivation. Then Rogue allowed herself to fall.

As she plunged downward the sun broke the horizon and a heavenly dawn lit up the world. The ocean went from a dark blue-black with silver to depths of aquamarine and emerald, with crests of dove and pearl and it sparkled blindingly. The clouds were tinted with reds, pinks, yellows, oranges, and purples with the sky a radiant and pure blue. Rogue stopped in midair, frozen at this welcome back that freedom had given her. She was over the cliff again now and she slowly descended, still watching the sunrise. She didn't observe the one waiting for her on the cliff edge.

Her bare feet nestled into the cool grass and Gambit drifted over to her side. Neither spoke, merely taking in everything as it finally began to sink in. They were free. Not slaves or prisoners, but free.

The sun was fully over the horizon before he spoke. "It's _belle_, _non_?"

She turned her eyes to him and he was shocked. Her eyes, no longer dimmed under false light, were the most vibrant green that he was sure he would ever see. The swimming irises shamed the sunlit sea below and the swaying grass around them. They almost shone with brilliance.

"It is beautiful. Ah… Ah never thought it could be this amazin'." She turned back to the sight and took in a trembling breath. "After all this time Ah think that Ah was startin' to believe that everything was dark and colorless, but now… It's been ten years since ah saw any of it. You were imprisoned even longer, twelve years. When we're finally here after dreamin' of it for countless nights…" She trailed away, and her longtime friend caught the glistening in her angel eyes.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "We're free now Rogue _chere_. You don' have to be hard. Your not a soldier anymore, _mon belle ami _is a human again."

A small gasp escaped her and she seized him into a desperate hug, disregarding for once her mutation, her frame wracking with powerful sobs as years of torment and despair were washed out with her tears. He was a little startled but then wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her there. A few tears found their way down his own cheeks though he was silent and he buried his face in her hair. Never before had either experienced such comfort and safety in the hold of another. For a long time they both just stood together, releasing the horrors of a lost childhood and embracing what was yet to come as the sun rose higher. The only sounds were the crashing breakers below.

Some time later found them sitting together on the cliff edge, their feet dangling and still leaning against each other. They were both exhausted and couldn't find the strength to get up again. Rogue lifted her face to absorb the warmth that was seeping into long-chilled bones and pale white skin. The voice of Carol then spoke in her head. The blonde had been silent through her early flight and her moment of release with Gambit, but her immense joy and been there. At least the body she shared was free now.

"_Don't you think we should be getting back to the others? I like sitting here just as much as anyone but there are some crucially important things we need to work out."_

Rogue sighed, but had to agree. She sat back up and nudged Gambit. "Archer and Genesis might be worried."

He nodded and started for a narrow trail that had allowed him to climb to the top, but Rogue simply lifted him and flew him down to the tunnel opening. Sitting there, side by side, were their friends. Genesis smiled radiantly at them both, her gold eyes still moist.

"We thought you should be alone. I never thought that seeing the sun again would be such a blessing. I'll never take it for granted after this." They settled down beside the other two. Rogue was startled when she saw Archer with his face in his hands. He was weeping softly. Genesis reached to take his hand, squeezing it gently as he looked up again, his cerulean eyes bloodshot and wet. They all paused together and again watched the ocean with content.

Gambit once again broke the reverie. "Well, now what?" They all looked at him. "_Que?_ We free now, don' need anyone to watch out for us, we need to figure out a plan. We can' just sit here for de rest of our lives an' I'm hungry." They continued to stare, before they all burst out laughing. Rogue rolled on the floor, tears streaming from her eyes and her abdomen ached.

"T-trust you to think of your stomach." She giggled as she sat back up.

"Well, he's got a point. What _are_ we going to do?" Archer asked.

Rogue leaned back against the cave wall. "You're the strategist. You tell us."

He thought, using a small driftwood stick to draw doodles in the sand. "I think the first thing we need to do is figure out where we are."

"I never woulda thought o' that." Archer glared at the Cajun before continuing.

"I'm pretty sure we're on an island, so we need to get off of it and back to the mainland as soon as possible. Then, we get our hands on some cash." He looked pointedly at Gambit who grinned devilishly. Out of all of them, he was by far the best at thieving. "After that, we get ourselves some necessities: clothes, food, transportation, and IDs. It'll be the best way to keep HYDRA from tracking us down again if we get settled in as soon as possible. Out of the country preferably, whichever country we're in."

They all nodded. It was the best plan so far: get out of the country and settle in. Rogue smirked. All that training was leading up to them settling down as everyday people. Rogue would be flying them out and Genesis would help with her limited telekinesis. Before that though, they would stay another night in the cave and rest up. Archer left to hunt some food on the island while Rogue went fishing seagull style. She loved the feel of the wind rippling her double colored hair and the feeling of plunging like a deadly hunter into the waves. It was hard, but she managed to snag a fish or two.

The meal was meager, two fish and a large rabbit cooked over a fire that Gambit had set alight with his finger and a pile of twigs. When the sky grew dark they retreated into the far recesses of the cave and settled down to sleep.

It was deep night before Rogue bolted up sweating and trembling. That awful place…then she looked around. She wasn't in her cell, or the laboratory, or in that terrible prison at all. Her heart slowed a little as she took in the bare stone walls and sandy floor. Then she saw Genesis huddled in a corner. Her eyes were dull.

"Even if we're free we can't escape it." She murmured. Rogue nodded and sat up. She was terrified of going back to sleep again, lest the nightmares come again.

"Maybe one day, but not anytime soon." Gambit moaned from where he was huddled nearby. Archer rolled over and agreed, his eyes haunted.

They all remained still, trying to forget the dreams. Then, Rogue scooted closer to Gambit and leaned against him. Genesis crawled over and Archer followed. They piled together like a pack of wolf pups, not like full grown human teenagers. They didn't care, finding comfort in closeness, something they'd never had in that place. Rogue nestled into her friend's chest, with Genesis and Archer on her other side. At last their eyes drifted closed again, and this time, the dreams let them be.

That was how the next day of freedom found them: together.

**This one was kinda filler, but I'm still working on what comes after. I'll try to update soon.**


	9. Journey to the New

A/N: Hello, the WritingGirl reporting for writing duty. Yes, at last we are through with the buildup and now we are on to the adventure. This is taking considerably longer than I expected but the plot is moving now and add that to community college, you get yourself a nice delay sandwich. Thank you if you helped me with thinking up names for the four of them. They may not be the most creative but I felt they reasonably fit the characters. So, let's get on with it.

Chapter 9: Journey to the New

The night, or rather early morning, was dark on the skirts of the small Canadian town. Most of the lights were turned off and the inhabitants were sleeping peacefully.

There was one grungy house on the edge of town where lights still glowed from the half closed windows. Inside a greasy man in his shorts and wife beater sat in front of the computer, typing furiously. He chomped on his cigar and brushed his messy hair out of his face and scrubbed his stubble.

"Deadline, on a deadline. Almost done…"

The light was making his eyes water but he ignored it. He finally hit print and the last of his work began to slide out of the printer. The man slid down in his seat in relief. His current clients weren't people that he would want to frustrate with delayed work.

"Have you finished the work we requested?"

The man flew out of his chair and clattered back against his desk. He had heard nothing, but now four shadowy figures stood just beyond the reach of the light coming from his computer. The one that stood forward was the tallest male. His face was still unclear, but his image was much easier to distinguish. He was dressed head to toe in a black leather body suit. What appeared to be a giant metal bow was slung over his back. His stance was poised, but with a reserved agression that showed he was prepared to spring into action at any moment. The other three remained in the dark, but he knew it was another man and two women. He gulped and was quick to answer his intimidating customer.

"Y-yes sir, I just finished. All of it's here, everything you asked for."

The tall man was still for a moment before he eased fully into the light. The man was shocked; the face of his client was far younger than he had assumed, still a teenager it looked like. However the expression resembled that of a veteran soldier, hardened by death and hardship. The skin was very pale and scarred in multiple places. His blue eyes were closed off to any emotion.

Moving as silently as a cat the young man picked up a thick folder and flicked it open. Long fingers separated the various papers and lamenated documents. All were there as he had said: Driver's licenses, IDs that could be fitted with their photographs later, birth certificates, and full life story outlines that they could memorize. Archer nodded his head and tucked the files away into his new pack.

"You've done what was promised, and here is your fee." The other man, who was strangely wearing sunglasses despite the darkness, stepped forward and tossed a bag at the forger. He caught it and checked it to make sure that it was all there. The considerable amount they had promised him for his work was all accounted for, and he didn't bother to ask where they had gotten it. He looked back up to the four and nodded, letting them know he was satisfied. Without a word they began to slip away.

The man, despite his questionable profession, was not a person to be deaf and blind to others. He felt a slight concern and his curiosity couldn't resist.

"Why would kids like you need stuff like this? You part of some secret agency or something?"

The one in the sunglasses turned and smirked at him. "Dat's our concern. Trust me when I tell y' dat you don't wanna know more than y' do. Oh, an' one more thing." He lowered his sunglasses and the older man yelped slightly and stared in fear. The irises were glowing red on black backgrounds.

"If you tell anyone about dis…transaction and who it was wit', you better watch your back mon ami. We're not anyone you'd wanna screw with." With that they breezed out of the window and disappeared.

xxxXXXxxx

A small fire flickered among the trees in the wilderness. It was a good distance from any roads or towns so it was doubtful that anything but wild animals would find the fugitives.

Rogue received her papers from Archer who was passing them around. They had been traveling for over a week, mostly on foot while sometimes catching rides on boxcars. Her legs were sore beyond belief, but her instinct was now to keep running no matter how much pain she was in. Her endurance was at least on beneficial thing she received from her imprisonment. She wished she could just fly, but it would have too much risk of detection involved. So the group just ran, leaping over fences and vegetation, cutting across properties, dodging towns, and shouldering on all day and a good way into the night.

Her eyes dropped to the sheets she held in her gloved hand. This was who she was to be now, at least once they found where they were going. So she examined her new identity with fervance. She felt a bit of warmth. She might be just Rogue in reality, but it felt comforting to at least make believe that her name was like anyone else's. Normal.

Her new name was Darcy Morgan Addams. She was sixteen years old, her birthday being September 6th. Apparently her parents had been the average working middle class people, her father working in insurance and her mother had occasionally subbed as a teacher in an elementary school. When 'Darcy' was thirteen her parents had died in a car crash, and with no close relatives on hand, Darcy was put in a foster home. Included was a geneolgical table of real people who had born the name Addams, who had died at the same time her profile listed. The man who had created their fake identities, despite his humble settings, was quite thorough and professional.

Rogue scanned the rest of her papers, a feeling of strange closure settling within her. Having finished, she inched around the fire and joined Genesis as she read her profile.

Genesis was to be called Theo Huyana, a girl with Native American Sioux descent. She had been born to a single teenage mother and had been put up for adoption right after her birth, going through numerous orphanages and foster homes.

By the time they had all finished reading, they had memorized their new identities. Rogue was Darcy Morgan Addams, Genesis was now Theo Huyana, and Archer's name was Andrew Flynn Cross. At the moment they were gathered around Gambit and reading over his shoulder.

"Russell Girard, not bad," 'Theo' commented. "Russell meaning redhead or fox-colored, that's appropriate, and Girard means 'strong spear'? That's different."

"Can't a _homme _read in peace? An' it's pronounced Roo-sell." Gambit asked them, though not completely annoyed. It always felt so much better when they were closer together, stronger and inseperable. Genesis lightly slapped the back of his head.

"Be nice, we're only curious. Besides, it's better if we get to know each other's personalities sooner rather than later."

Rogue spoke up. "There's one thing I'm wonderin'. If we're all so young then how are we gonna stay together when Genesis an' I aren't old enough to be let go by the social system?"

Archer shrugged. "We're still far out and we don't even know where we're going yet. When we figure that out then we'll work out that issue. For now, it's about time we got some rest. In a few hours the sun will be up and we'll have to get moving again." Their were nods of agreement and they settled down against their trees, trying to get comfortable. An owl hooted off in the distance as the fire began to die.

By the time the horizon grew pale merely four hours later they were already moving. They were in a very remote area with lots of trees and open fields, occasionally crossing paths with a small stream or two. Locked in HYDRA's hold their skills had been commonplace, what was required of them to stay ahead of the dangerous survival game. Out here though, was very different. They flew over the fields like Olympic champions, barely more than ghosts in the dawn mist. The four leapt over logs with the ease of fleeting deer, weaving among the fauna with hardly a rustle of leaf or a snap of twig. Their dark uniforms kept them shadowed. When passing a town a lucky person might glance into the trees and see a flash of movement, a quivering branch. That was the only record of the liberated ones' passing.

Around one in the afternoon they made a full stop. Before they had only taken two breaks to sip from streams and continue the run. Rogue plopped down on a moss covered rock in the middle of the wood where they had stopped beside another babbling brook. Clouds were beginning to cover the sky and a few drops began to fall. She leaned her head back, allowing the flecks of rain to tap against her face. It felt so good, and the smell of the woods seemed to be cleansing the last of the mustiness from her soul. She could feel the stirring in her head that signified Carol's presence. Her mindmate hadn't spoken much for several days, but her meloncholy joy was there; happy because they were free, and hurting because she was seeing it through someone else's eyes. Opening those same green eyes Rogue looked to see what her friends were doing.

Archer had removed his boots and was allowing his feet to soak in the cold water. It numbed the pain from hours of exertion. Genesis had let her hair loose from its tight tie and permitted the long white locks to fall to her waist. Rogue still marveled how beautiful her friend was. She felt sad. If they had been normal Genesis would have been adored by men her age, her sleek and curving figure and kind face attractive in the extreme. For now, the other girl had her fingers placed on her temples and was scanning their surroundings for anyone nearby. Gambit had disappeared, most likely to hunt.

The rain began to pour down in earnest, getting them wet but it didn't concern them much. It was the closest they would get to a shower for a while yet.

Genesis sat down gracefully beside Rogue and smiled wearily at her. She pulled her knees into her chest and gazed off into the woods.

"Do you feel as disoriented as I do right now? Suddenly being thrown from one way of life into another so swiftly?"

Rogue nodded and began to pull up some of the moss from the rock while leaning back against the tree behind her. The pattering of the rain was soothing.

"I do feel the same as you. I don' remember anythin' before HYDRA and now that we're suddenly here… It's just frightenin'. I love freedom, but now that we have it I don' know what t' do with myself."

Gold eyes darkened in saddened agreement. "Me either. I mean, what could we do? We've been trained to kill, spy, and steal. How could we apply that in a career? Also, we are lacking social skills."

Rogue grunted, realizing how true this was. They knew nothing about the world around them aside from the technical information needed to blend in and accomplish missions. "Maybe figuring everythin' out is what we're meant t' do. We could travel, see the world and everythin' it has to offer."

A sigh escaped Genesis. "That would be nice, but there's something else. There's this nagging in the back of my head trying to break through. Something, someone, is important that I can't remember but I know I should. I feel that this should be my goal but I just can't figure out what it is. To find…oh I don't know." Her head dropped to her knees and frustration.

The southerner didn't answer but could understand. She could feel the tugging, the persistent whispering that was telling her she should be doing something. Whether they ever found out what they were meant to do was a thing only time would tell. She nudged the other girl lightly and Genesis looked up. "Hey, don't worry about it. We got our whole lives t' figure this out now. One day everythin'll make sense."

"Let's hope so," said Archer as he drifted over. "Now move over, you guys have the only semi-dry spot nearby and it's hard to sleep with the rain hitting me." He nudged into the middle of the girls and leaned back.

Genesis raised an eyebrow. "Rude Andrew." He stiffened at the new name and relaxed with a slight smile.

"Huh, Andrew doesn't sound half bad. Would it be less rude if I made it a bit warmer?"

Rogue smirked as she leaned against him. In their full body suits she didn't have to worry much about making skin contact. "We might forgive ya."

Archer draped an arm around each girl and there was a humming. The molecules of air rubbed together and created warmth from friction. With faint sighs and yawns they settled in to wait for Gambit, their eyes beginning to drift close. The slight rain and blowing wind didn't effect them, but even in rest they were alert, senses tuned to danger. Their freedom was still fragile and so easy to take away in a moment. That was something they weren't yet willing to risk.

xxxXXXxxx

"Ya sure it's clear?"

"Positive. Closed two hours ago and I haven't seen any movement since."

"Le's go den. We ain't gettin' dose tickets wit' puppy eyes an' a sob story."

"Actually, if Gambit was doing the puppy eyes we might get away with it."

"You're a real original Archer, now come on, we have a couple hours to do this and I'd prefer it while this place is empty."

The four shadows darted across the empty parking lot towards the large mall. It was the largest city they had actually dared to enter so far. They were only about a day's travel on foot from the Canadien border and then they could disappear in the United States. By the time they crossed the country line it would be better to take a mode of transportation other than their own feet. It was time to lift some cash.

Silently Rogue bore them all up to the roof, hugging the wall to remain as unseen as possible. Touching down on the roof they gathered around the skylight. Gambit motioned Archer forward, who shook his head.

"Glass is a little hard for me. I can't loosen the molecules yet without shattering it."

"Well, dey's gonna know we were here anyway," Gambit mumbled. With a bare fingertip he traced a wide circle in the pane. Small sparks of magenta and orange danced over the reflective surface for a moment before they fizzled out, leaving a large hole that they could easily slip through. Rogue lowered the boys, while Genesis merely leaped down and plunged to the floor. At the last second she used her small amount of telekinesis to halt her descent six feet from the ground. She dropped into a crouch as Rogue floated down beside her.

Gambit dropped and straightened his uniform. "I'll go wit' Rogue an' take the upper floors, an' you two clear out down here." Genesis and Archer nodded, the man forming a crackling energy ball in his hand before melting into the darkness, the girl behind him.

Plucking a leaf off of one of the fake plants, Gambit allowed his charge to set it glowing. "Let's go." The two headed upstairs.

Rogue's super strength allowed her to wrench open the iron gate over one of the shops and they entered without a hitch. The mall only had alarms on the entrance doors.

Rogue headed for the register to see if any proceeds remained from the day. Not much, but plenty for their needs. She pocketed the money and looked up, realizing Gambit wasn't with her.

"Gambit?" she hissed into the dark clothing store. There was a rustle and he emerged from among the racks. He was holding something. She glared at him. "This isn't the time t' be playin' around."

He ignored her scolding tone and held up the object. "What do y' t'ink _ch__é__re_. Gotta have somethin' else t' wear besides dese uniforms _non_?"

Rogue finally took a close look at the thing he held. In the light of the charged decorative leaf she saw that it was a long duster trench coat. It was made of dark brown leather, with attractively cut lines and lots of pockets. Gambit was wearing a near goofy grin as he admired the coat. Rogue had been about to reprimand him for being distracted while they had business to attend to, but when she saw the smile she stopped. She had only seen that smile once, many years ago when they had first met that night. It was close to the smile she had seen as he had poked his shaggy head out of the ventilation shaft and greeted her in his husky, accented boy voice. Rogue couldn't stand to make that smile go away. Besides, when she really looked at it, it was quite a nice coat.

She smiled at him. "I like it. It's really nice." She hadn't even finished speaking before he had slipped the coat on. The grin cranked up even wider and his eyes gleamed.

"I t'ink I'm gonna get _tres_ fond o' dis coat." Using a stolen pocket knife he slit the security tag away and straightened his new fashion statement. Rogue smiled at him, seeing a remnant of the boy she had first met on his time-hardened face.

He stood up straighter and motioned her to join him. "C'mon _ch__é__re_, dere's still a lot of work t' do before we leave here."

She pushed him ahead, reigning in her greater strength. "I wasn't the one that got distracted boy. Don't tell me that."

Gambit smirked at her, a cocky grin that seemed to have been made for his face. "Gambit knows your jus' jealous. Don' worry, we'll find one for you soon enough."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Keep movin' Cajun." Her heart swelled like it hadn't in years.

Roughly an hour later the four shadows lifted through the skylight once more and disappeared into the silent hours of the night.

xxxXXXxxx

It was night once again with no moon to be seen. Gambit crouched low in the bushes beside his companions. The wind was cool, a nice temperature for this late at night. He rolled his shoulders and relished in the warmth and feel of his duster coat. He hadn't taken it off yet and he didn't intend to for a good while yet. For now though, he had more important things to attend to other than the feel of his coat.

They were crouched in a grove of trees, looking down on the security checkpoint on the border of the US. He felt an excitement inside. Once they were over that border they would be truly liberated. It was like the last ten seconds in a training session: your lungs were burning, pain was all-consuming, but you knew it was almost over, that rest was just beyond that final barrier.

They were on higher ground than the border checkpoint, with the road below crossing countries in a trench between the raised forest ground on either side. They all looked up beyond this last obstacle. The land dipped down, winding down from the hills. A last splash of paler light left behind from the day stained the satin dark sky, showing a great forest of gently swaying trees as far as the eye could reach, with the winding road disappearing beneath them. The horizon was dotted with faint stars.

Rogue stood forward and leaned against a tree trunk, gazing out to the far reaches of her sight. Gambit thought she looked beautiful, framed beside the black tree and standing as a shadow against the backdrop of the lands ahead.

"We're almost there. Just gotta cross the border an' the child slaves of HYDRA will be left behind forever." Her voice was soft, but filled with emotion.

"We just have to take the last steps." Archer stood forward. His eyes scanned the treetops. "I think staying above ground will be our safest bet. Let's go."

Rogue floated up, while the other three clambered up the trees with well-practiced ease. Leaping like squirrels across the thicker branches. They timed their jumps with the rustling stirred up by the east wind, springing unnoticed over the cars and security who were never the wiser to the young mutants above them.

With one last bound of impressive distance, Gambit spread out his hands and latched his feet to the branch where he had landed, beyond the border of liberation. He straightened and saw Archer and Genesis situated in their own trees. With a whisper, Rogue touched down on the thick branch beside him. She glanced back briefly before turning her eyes south and east. The green gems sparked with a new fire.

"A new life begins. I never thought I'd see the day Gambit."

He put an arm around her, drawing her closer. "You never t'ought, but y' hoped. An' now we got our whole lives ahead o' us Darcy."

She looked up at him, the green fire blazing now. "Our whole lives. I'm lookin' forward t' that Russell."

"_We all are," _was Genesis' concluding reply as they looked to the future.

XXX

**Yes, I'm finally back after a long break. This was a difficult chapter to right even though it was short; this is the third rewrite and I'm still not completely satisfied with it, but it was the best I could do. Anyway, thank you for your help if you gave me ideas for their names and I have a special thanks for Lorelai Chase and Kii-g-14, who's words have inspired my writing and really boosted my confidence in this story. Thanks to all my readers and I hope as always that you enjoyed. Oh, and Happy Halloween!**


	10. The Figure

A/N: Greetings to all devoted readers, TheWritingGirl23 here with another chapter to all readers and reviewers. Okay, so I have a challenge for myself. I'm trying to get about five decent chapters into this story before New Year's, and I need your help to keep me motivated on this. So please, don't let me slack, and remember chapters come faster with more reviews. You know where the Review button is, use it wisely. Oh, and for Cajun Spice fans, I give you a bit of a reference since that episode won't be occurring in this fic.

Chapter 10 – The Figure

_One week previously…_

Sunlight poured into the expensive modern room. The room's windows opened to a sweeping view of mountains and forests far below, with misty clouds adding an abstract surreal appearance to the landscape.

A single, green clad woman stood by the windows, observing the surroundings of their new current base. Viper still seethed over the loss of so many of her mutants, who had taken years to obtain and condition. At least she had other work to turn to, a distraction to turn to after that great humiliation.

Her eyes sparked with reawakening as she heard shuffling footsteps approaching down the long corridor to her quarters. Turning, she gave her permission for entry. As always her hand calmly clasped the small, sleek gun hidden in the wraps of her clothing, just in case of unwanted visitors.

The doors swung open and two black-masked guards entered. Between them they ushered a small man with pale blonde hair and blue eyes. Viper let a sickly sweet smile cross her green lips as she stood to her full height, a good deal taller than the small man.

"What could it be that brings my faithful psychic to me at a time like this? I thought he would be groveling over the magnificence of our surroundings, or perhaps indulging himself in our wide selection of fine wines for the higher officials."

The man shrank slightly but didn't move. Viper waved her hand for the guards to leave. They did and she sat herself elegantly on one of the fine chairs. Despite the passage of time and her increasing age, she was just as impressive as she had been in her most youthful years. The green eyes glinted as she surveyed her precog. They narrowed when she saw the anxiety on his face. The man flinched as she quietly growled.

"What have you seen?" Her accent grew heavier in anger.

"M-ma'am, I have seen something that could place you and the entire organization of HYDRA at risk." He maintained his stillness as the tall woman rose to her feet. It reminded him of the deadly prowl of a lioness before she lunges in to take her prey.

"What did you see?" she hissed.

The man composed himself before continuing. "Not every mutant from the dead project was disposed of Lady Hydra. Four escaped, and these four could change events that could lead to the destruction of HYDRA and yourself."

He expected the woman to fly into a rage, but she remained absolutely silent for a good while. At last she moved to the phone resting upon the glass coffee table.

"Send Dr. Deborah Risman to me immediately." The psychic now knew her intent. He attempted to speak.

"Lady Hydra, perhaps you should consider sending agents to at least discover their whereabouts and actions before you proceed with this. It is dangerous to act on the predictions of the future without knowing the events that will trigger them. We don't know…"

Viper silenced him by seizing him around the throat and pulling him toward her. Her green eyes had become flames of poison.

"Four have survived. This cannot be allowed. If these live then there is a good chance Fury will know as well. I cannot allow these weapons to fall into the hands of our rivals, nor permit them to grow rogue. Do you not know how powerful they are? They must be destroyed before they can realize their full abilities, both mutant and human. And what better way," she said as she lowered him slightly, a new smile growing, "then to set upon them their equal. It is time X-23 showed her prowess. A real test of strength for HYDRA's greatest soldier."

xxxXXXxxx

Rogue gasped, fear closing her throat as she tugged violently against the restraints. The terror escalated even further when she found that her great strength seemed to have left her.

With frozen limbs the teenage girl watched as the ghostly image of Sinister drifted toward her out of the darkness, his sharp fangs gleaming in the sickly light. His eyes glowed fiercely as he brandished a wickedly long needle with a barbed tip. It entered her skin like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes rolled back in her head, remembering the cuts, burns, incisions, shocks, every physical pain that could be experienced in a lifetime. She opened her mouth to release a silent scream of agony. Now the room was shaking, rocking terribly...

_"Rogue,__wake__up.__Rogue..."_a voice was becoming clearer as the dreaded room around her faded.

With a jolt, Rogue's eyes snapped open to a barely lit box room. The shaking was now combined with a rattling, the light wavering as the dim lamp above her swayed with the movement.

With a grunt, she heaved herself up from a scrunched up jacket, uncurling from the fetal position she had been hunched in as she slept. Rogue rubbed the bleariness from her eyes, looking out of the darkened window to see the landscape rolling past their train like a black river. Brushing her still-short auburn hair, she turned back to meet sympathetic blue eyes. Archer, or Andrew as they were growing into the habit of calling him, was sitting on the opposite row of seats in their train compartment. A small laptop that they had 'borrowed' before boarding was seated on his lap. His eyes were drooping; dark circles and bloodshot sclera increased his appearance of weariness. His hand was slightly outstretched, clearly having shaken her awake from the nightmare.

"Thank you Archer," Rogue moaned as she fully raised herself into a sitting position. She could see the lumpy shapes of Gambit and Genesis sleeping splayed over the seats and floor. The newly dubbed Russell had yet to take off his coat, even as he slept. A pattering of light rain on the window was the only sound.

Rogue leaned back against the soft material of the seat, taking deep breaths as she shook off the last vestiges of her dream. There was no Sinister, no lab, and no imprisonment. A warm wave of relief flooded through her, dispelling the last of her cold chills. It was additionally comforting to have another person there that was awake.

The seat dipped slightly as Archer sat down beside her, moving silently so as not to wake the others.

"Are you alright Darcy?" His voice was soft, like he was trying not to startle her.

The owner of the alias sighed and leaned her head back, looking into his eyes. She felt glad he was here; he had always had a steady and accepting nature about him, and it was what she imagined a big brother would be. "I'm okay now Andrew. It's just...I can't escape those dreams. I'm beginning t' think I never will."

He nodded, allowing her to lean closer for comfort. "I know. That's kind of why I volunteered for this." He motioned to the laptop he had carried over with him. "A night without sleep is ecstasy compared to the nightmares," he grimaced.

Rogue shivered a bit, and leaned over to disguise it, peering at the screen. "What is it you're doin' anyway?"

He pulled the computer closer and set to work again as he explained. "We won't be able to just live off of lifted cash once we find a place to settle down, though I'm sure Gambit would give it a try. It might take us a while to get jobs and we'll need a home, so I'm creating a bank account."

"With what money?"

"Exactly," he said, pointing his index finger at her. "I'm trying to get into various accounts and siphon some money. With proper equipment I could make us millionaires in five minutes without arousing suspicion. With what I have though, I have to do it the long way. It's a matter of getting into accounts all over the country and transferring money into an account of our own, a little bit at a time. Sometimes all I take is ten dollars or so, so people won't get suspicious. It takes a long time though, so I volunteered."

Rogue watched him for several minutes before her eyes caught sight of the clock on the screen.

"4 am? I thought this train got into station at 11 pm."

"The last train did. You slept right through our transfer and Russell ended up having to carry you between trains. Then he and Theo grabbed some dinner before passing out. It's been nice and quiet for some hours now." Rogue fell silent as Archer continued with his work, the typing a soothing sound combined with the rain outside. It lasted for several minutes more before Rogue broke the quiet.

"Where's this train headed?" The black haired boy shrugged.

"I forgot. We bought the tickets randomly, since it would make us harder to trace."

With a faint sigh, Rogue leaned against him. Her mutation was a fearful one, but when she was around the three people who were the only family she had, it didn't seem to matter as much.

"I'm so tired Andrew. We haven't known home for years, an' I'm tired of knowin' I don't belong anywhere. I wanna find a place we can call our own, an' be like other people."

He nodded in agreement. In truth neither had ever really had a home, being orphans, and just thinking about what all they had missed, before and after HYDRA, made an emptiness known within them. Their conversation ceased and they sat beside each other in silence.

At 9 o' clock the train pulled into the station in Rutland Vermont. By this time, Gambit and Genesis had awakened. Now in new clothes, they blended easily into the large crowds of people piling from the train.

"C'mon." Gambit motioned them toward the station diner. There they could eat and plan their next move. None of them noticed the figure, perfectly blended in the crowd, watching them.

Upon entering the place, their sharp instincts turned on at full power. It was an automatic response they had learned to perfect throughout their lives. Like animals, they relied just as much on intuition as they did on skill. They must rely on what their senses told them to not only get them out of danger, but to keep it away from them in the first place. Over a decade of captivity had honed their ability to follow intuition so sharp that it was bordering on mind reading or an all-knowing awareness.

Rogue's green eyes swept the room discreetly under the rim of the hat she wore. She recorded how many people were here, where they were, what they were doing, and predicted their future movements in a matter of moments. There was a group of loud young men around the diner bar, about five, laughing at something one of them had said. Two of these men were casting glances at her and Genesis, their eyes appreciative and a little envious of the two teen boys beside them. Behind the counter was a petite black-haired waitress who was laughing along with the boys as she ignored the angered shouts from the cook in the back. There was also a couple sitting at a table by the window, but they were so immersed in each other that Rogue knew they would pose no threat. Again, the watcher outside stayed outside their sphere of awareness.

Their group took seats at the booth in the back, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. They had yet to find better disguises other than the change of clothes from their uniforms. Genesis had tied her long white hair into a small bun and hidden it under a tacky baseball cap, and her clothes were slightly baggy to hide her unusual musculature. Rogue wore her still short hair in a tiny ponytail and a baret to hide the stripes. She wore dark wash jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt, her black gloves still on her hands. Gambit and Archer wore nondescript clothing and the former had sunglasses.

As soon as they were settled the waitress approached to take their orders. Rogue examined her from behind her menu, scanning for threats. The way the girl held herself in order to orient her figure showed that she was self-conscious and the cock of the hip showed she was trying to exude confidence. Her smile was a little too wide, so she was trying to impress. After Rogue had completed her analysis she turned back to her menu, having written this girl off as no threat. A quick glance around the table showed that her companions had come to the same conclusion.

"There anything I can get you all?" The waitress kept casting furtive glances around the group. Her eyes were a mixture of admiration and uneasiness. Their appearances were certainly appealing, but the seriousness of their attitudes made other people nervous. As soon as they had ordered she scurried away to the kitchen. She returned promptly with their food and hastened away once more.

Genesis reached for her drink, and Rogue noticed how haggard she looked.

"You all right Theo?" The Native American girl smiled wearily, but the encouraging look was obviously false.

"To tell you the truth, I'm exhausted Darcy. I didn't think being a fugitive would be anywhere near as hard as a HYDRA soldier, but I'm not sure how much more I can take." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and Rogue saw how much paler she looked. Genesis really did seem ill. Looking at the boys she found the same draining energy in their slumped shoulders and slack faces.

Rogue looked at her own reflection in the Formica surface of the table. Her face was thin and there were dark rings under her eyes. It seemed that they were all losing their drive to run. Even the wildest of creatures needs someplace to call home.

Gambit stirred his drink with a straw. This new food, so different from their standard issue meals in enslavement, had been a shock the first time they had tasted it. He recalled with a smirk the open-mouthed amazement on his friends' faces when they had first sampled the cheeseburger. He had no doubt he had looked the same. Now though, new food and open skies were no longer enough. Their primal barest instincts had been satisfied, but now the men and women inside were begging to regain their humanity.

He raised his cup to his lips to drink, when he noticed Archer stiffen suddenly. The girls noticed as well, and they allowed their intuitions to take over. They all froze. A spike of fear higher than anything they had felt since their escape blazed through their nerves and raised the hairs on the backs of their necks. Genesis whipped around to spot the nearest window.

"_Down,__" _cried her telepathic voice. Trusting the telepath and her excellent timing, they all dove just as a metal something flew through the window.

Smoke blew upward as a sleek black shape came crashing into the restaurant behind the smoke canister. The four could hear coughing and thumps as the other occupants inhaled the mist and collapsed.

Gambit growled. His strong hands ripped a strip of fabric from his shirt and tied it around his mouth and nose. Through the screen he could see the others following his example. Each was crouched defensively. Archer had drawn a metal object from his pocket. With a flick of his wrist it extended to form the half-moon shape of his longbow. He also withdrew a thin strip of wire and set it on the string. It blazed a ghostly blue as he pointed it into the cloud filling the diner. Rogue and Genesis stood back to back, Rogue with her gloves off and Genesis ready to fire a psychic blast. Gambit snatched a salt shaker from the table and held it at the ready.

The diner was silent apart from the hiss of smoke still emitting from the canister.

Rogue watched, keeping her ears wide for any noise. Then she heard it: the slight squeak of a combat boot moving towards them. Simultaneously, the attacker and Rogue lunged for each other.

The two went smashing over the tables and behind the counter. The thing attacking them tried to pin Rogue, but the Southern girl had the advantage of strength. She picked up the person, who was surprisingly small and lithe, and tossed it mercilessly across the room.

Rogue leapt over the counter again and scanned about. After a long time of silence, Carol rose to join her consciousness.

"_Rogue,__you__have__a__sixth__sense.__Listen__to__it.__"_

Concentrating, she threw out her awareness. Her head snapped to the waver of movement in the corner. Suddenly an angry roar from Gambit echoed through the place and a blaze of magenta lit up the restaurant. She saw a figure being thrown across the room before the light went out. Focusing on the last place she had seen it, Rogue lunged. This thing had attacked them and now it would pay for its boldness.

The perpetrator met her mid-charge. Rogue gasped as something sharp and cold slashed across her granite skin, two points of pain. Glancing down momentarily she saw two shallow cuts on her abdomen; nothing more than scratches, but for something to penetrate her diamond-hard skin was as yet unheard of.

Two flashing blades zoomed from the smoke screen and tore at her arm. Again she was cut, but the massive force behind the attack still had only resulted in red scratches. It was the deepest the blades could penetrate her pale skin.

Rogue felt her anger growing to a berserker rage, and she attacked with a new frenzy. With the swiftness she had gained through agonizing training, she dropped to the ground and swept the legs from under her opponent. They fell and she moved in to finish the fight, but was deflected by two feet slamming into her ribcage.

As she stumbled backwards the figure in the mist flipped up and charged again. Before it could reach her an explosion of fuchsia sent it tumbling away with a high pitched scream of rage. Rogue was about to move when her arm was seized.

"C'mon _chérie_." Gambit pulled her away. She could see his red eyes glowing intensely in the gloom. He pulled her back through the dim kitchen and out the back doors onto the train platform. Behind them came Genesis and Archer. The young man turned, aiming his bow into the section of the restaurant where their opponent had fallen. He released it and the building split apart in a cloud of blue flames. The four bolted away as they heard cries welling up in the station and the wail of sirens.

Rogue threw her gaze back to the demolished diner. _"__The__people__inside__…"_

"_Don__'__t__worry;__we__were__able__to__get__them__out__while__you__and__Gambit__were__fighting__that__thing.__" _Rogue nodded at the reassurance from the other girl.

Gambit's eyes were still flaming with battle high and… fear. "We gotta get away, now."

"I'm way ahead of you there. Fast as you can." Archer picked up the pace until he was tearing through the station. The others followed him as fast as possible, moving so quickly the people they bumped into didn't have a chance to glimpse their faces.

Archer bounded deer-like through a large door leading to a train yard outside. A large cargo train was beginning to pull from the station. He leapt and managed to catch onto the back rail. He whirled and reached out to help the others.

"Come on Theo." Her hair, released from the hat, flew behind her as she hurtled into his arms. Both turned to drag Gambit onto the car before he crashed to the tracks below the fast moving train in his desperate leap. Rogue was last, pelting as fast as she could. With a boost from her flight powers she launched herself onto the car after them. Careening wildly, she bowled her friends over, knocking in the door to the freight car. They tumbled in an ungraceful pile to a stop. Below them they could feel the hard shaking that showed that the train had pulled from the station and was picking up speed, bearing them to _where_ exactly they didn't know.

Rogue lay panting, tangled up with her friends. The cuts on her arm and belly stung, but it was nothing compared to some of the things she had endured. Turning her head she met Gambit's red eyes. They were gleaming with unmistakable fear as they had on the platform. She felt that it was the same in her green eyes. The look made her shiver. She broke their eye contact and struggled to free herself from their tangle. They were each able to retreat into their own separate corner and catch their breath, all except for Gambit. He moved toward Rogue, even though she shrank away. The blades had torn great rips in her clothes and her white skin was exposed dangerously. He knelt beside her despite this.

"You alright Rogue?" He reached to hold her arm, making sure only to touch the fabric of her sleeve as he examined the cuts. They were long, but shallow and clean and the blood had already stopped.

"I'm fine Gambit, they're just cuts. You know I've had much worse." He nodded, denying the memories that surfaced. He released her arm and sat next to her, making sure she had enough space to be comfortable with so much skin exposed. They both leaned back against the shaking wall of boxcar and tried to calm their heart rates.

"Did you see them?" Gambit turned his head at her question. "The attacker."

He shrugged. "Sorta. When I t'rew dat salt shaker at 'em I caught a glimpse." His eyes glowed, some of the fear returning as he looked at her again. "Dey had a mask on, but I recognized de uniform." He was reluctant to say it, but he couldn't keep her in the dark on this. "It was a HYDRA soldier."

He watched the terror flood her face. Then she reined it in and replaced it with defiance. Her fists clenched. Gambit saw Genesis and Archer with the same fright in their gazes, but they also were trying to put it aside.

"So they know we're alive then," Rogue murmured. "Well, they'll never find us, and they won't take us back or destroy us." In spite of her strong words, he saw her shoulders sagging with weariness. The protectiveness he felt for her grew again. Removing his long coat he placed it around her shoulders, and ignoring her squeak of protest he pulled her against him.

"You're always too cold _fille_. Stop bummin' an' relax."

Rogue continued to struggle for a minute more before she at last settled into the embrace. It triggered strange sensations. Her face felt hotter than normal, and she felt an odd clenching in her stomach. But overall was a warm contentment telling her she didn't want to be released from the hold, ignoring the fact that she rarely grew cold due to her indestructible skin. Her long previous night was catching up to her and her eyes began to drift close. She leaned close to her best friend and inhaled his familiar scent. It was always a comfort to her, lulling her into a warm sleep. No wonder Gambit liked this coat so much.

When her head was fuzzy and on the brink of a doze, she gently moved her head from where it rested on his chest. Her blurry eyes saw Theo and Andrew sleeping among the boxes.

"Russell, do y' know where we're goin'?"

He sighed sleepily. "No idea Darcy. Now hush an' go t' sleep." Rogue smirked and settled into sleep once more.

Meanwhile, back at train station, pandemonium still swelled through the station. The destruction of the diner baffled the authorities. The cause of the explosion left no trace of C4, gas, or any explanation on how it had occurred. The occupants of the restaurant could tell the police nothing. All they remembered was a crash, a cloud of sleeping gas going up, and when they had awoken they had been outside on the platform laid close together.

High above in the rafters of the station, a black-clad figure balanced expertly as it observed the chaos below. Staying to the shadows while clinging spider-like to the supports, the figure stripped from its black uniform, changing into a simple hunter-green shirt and jeans. It pulled away its mask, allowing long brown hair cut perfectly straight to flow out from beneath its covering. With silent bounds the figure leapt to the ground without being noticed. When at last the mysterious soldier stepped from the dark corners and into the crowd, it was replaced by a young girl. Her brown hair fell past her shoulders, her build thin but lithe. She couldn't have been over fifteen years old. Her hazel eyes narrowed as she scanned the crowds.

She knew her quarry wouldn't be found in this station. They would have escaped as soon as she was incapacitated. Project X-23 cursed herself in her head as she weaved expertly through the flocks of people. She had fallen victim to the very thing her trainers had warned her against: underestimating her enemies. She had known of their powers and capabilities, but she had doubted that the simple looking teens she had observed over the past two days could pose much threat to her.

X-23 discreetly raised her head and sniffed, trying to draw the four elusive scents to her. No matter; once she picked up their trail again, she would make sure to not make that mistake again. Her masters demanded it.

A/N: Okay, this one was completely unexpected. I didn't know this was going to happen until I wrote it. But I hope it was good.

Next chapter: our heroes find a new home.

P.S. Review, review, review, review, review, etc. I'll be very sad if you don't :'(


	11. One Act of Kindness

The Paths We Tread

Chapter 11 – One Act of Kindness

Racketing noise and faint flashes of light nudged Rogue awake from where she was still nestled next to a solid block of warmth. She shifted faintly, her head nuzzling closer into the pleasant heat. Heat radiated from below her cheek, a rumbling coming from it.

Rogue blinked her eyes open, lifting her muss of hair off of Gambit's firm chest. She moved slowly, the constant weariness weighing on her limbs like weights. She knew well how that felt; running through a training sequence while dragging massive weights had made her young calves as strong as iron. Her eyes found Gambit's face.

It was one of the few times in many years that she had liked what she saw as she awoke. She studied him, tracing every feature. He was so familiar and yet so distant. They had known each other since they were small children, but how much _did_ they really know about each other? They had shared torture, but never pleasure. Rogue couldn't help but wonder what things would have been like if they had met outside of Hydra. She couldn't remember what little children did, but it must surely be better than what they had endured.

But as she stared at her oldest companion, something other than dependence stirred inside of her. She didn't know what it was; she didn't feel the same way about Archer or Genesis. A sudden compulsion that terrified her and excited her in equal measure took ahold of Rogue: she wanted, more than anything, just to touch him, feel his skin against hers. She had brushed against him multiple times in the past, but she hardly noticed it before her powers came around, and after that the awful absorption killed any other sensation than pain and confusion. But there had been that one time, the day she earned her powers. He had held her so gently and protectively when her face had been badly cut. It was one memory she didn't fear to look back on from her time as a slave. Now, her mind wanted desperately to relive that.

Hardly conscious of her actions, she slid a glove off of her hand and left the pale skin dangerously bare. Her eyes stayed trained on his face as her arm worked loose of their sleeping pile, and slowly moved it towards his face.

The long fingers stopped, hovering just over his rough jaw. She bit her lip, her mind still clouded with sleep. A voice in her head was hissing that what she was doing was dangerous and irrational, but she just couldn't resist the absolute _need_ to feel warm, living skin against her fingertips. Concentrating on any semblance of control that she could have buried within, she lowered her hand and brushed against the smooth skin.

Nothing happened. Rogue silently exalted, spreading her hand to brush against his cheekbones, smiling faintly as he twitched and grinned in his sleep. Then her hand began to grow hot.

"Oh no," she whispered, jerking her hand away suddenly. She cast her eyes toward Gambit, hoping he hadn't been hurt as she rubbed her hands to get rid of the cold-burn of her powers. But it wouldn't stop. The icy burn was spreading up her arms, through her chest and neck, and into her head. She clutched her temples as the shards pierced at her skull, causing black spots to dance in her vision. Panic set in, and she cried out.

"What? This isn't suppos-AAAHHH!" Her sudden shriek awakened her friends, their eyes snapping towards her just in time to see her collapse to her knees.

"Chère!" Gambit cried out as he lunged to her side. Rogue was now writhing on the floor and holding her head in her hands, high-pitched screams grating from between clenched teeth. Genesis knelt down beside her, her eyes wide with fear for her friend. Without a word, her eyes clouded over as she entered her friend's mind.

She appeared on a dark, storming mindscape, nothing to be seen but raging clouds overhead. Genesis peered around, trying to find Rogue, when a hand landed on her shoulder. She whipped around, expecting to see the other girl, but meeting a pair of blue eyes instead. Carol's face was plastered with a grim expression as she seized onto the telepath's impression and began to pull her along across the black scape.

"Carol, what is going on?"

Carol's blue eyes flashed with fear and anger. "I told her not to, but the stupid girl wouldn't listen to me! Now she's set them loose!"

"Who?" Genesis asked, before sliding to a halt, her fear escalating.

Rogue was huddled on the misted ground, diminished and weak, her pale skin glowing like a sickly beacon in the gloom. Broken and rusted chains hung from her throat, ankles, and wrists, scars tracing across her skeletally thin frame. All she wore were black rags of shorts and a tank top. Branded on her forehead was a leering Hydra symbol, flashing a poison green.

Rogue cowered to the ground, whimpering in terror as shadows began to approach and encircle her, snarling like rabid wolves. Genesis stared in morbid fascination at the creatures. She knew what psychic impressions looked like, whole but also those badly injured; marks of a tortured and broken mind. These weren't anything like that. These psyches were more corpses than anything else, pale and grisly figures with knobby joints and claw-like fingers. Hair hung lank, skin draped loosely on bone, and sunken eyes flashed coldly as they converged on their jailer, the one who had ripped away pieces of their souls.

Genesis growled, her animal side that had been nurtured to life by Hydra flaming up. Sweet and peaceable as she seemed, Genesis was an able killer, and had the potential for a ruthlessness incomprehensible to regular people. Her hand flashed as a golden psychic sword extended from her hand, the blade curved and wickedly sharp. With Carol beside her, she lunged forward. The sword swept cleanly between the ribs of one of the first psyches, causing it to howl ghoulishly before exploding in golden shards. Rogue, still hunched like a wilted plant in their midst, cried out in pain as the psyche was destroyed, but some color began to return to her nearly translucent form. Genesis tore her way through towards her friend, standing over her protectively and lashing at any psyche that dared to come close.

"You won't hurt her! Now back off, before what little is left of you is wiped out," the dark-skinned telepath threatened, brandishing the weapon fiercely. Carol backed her, silent but deadly as she glared at the zombie-like crowd.

They seemed to back away for a moment, before they parted and let one psyche step forward. Genesis tightened her hold on her weapon. Her own psyche, white hair whipping about her and eyes glowing an eerie garnet, prowled forward like a lion, licking black lips with a blue tongue. Genesis shuddered at this horrific version of herself, but held her ground even as the shade produced its own moldy-green sword from its hand.

The Genesis psyche screamed like a banshee before lunging at her, the energy sword hissing like snakes as it swung. The original Genesis ducked below the blow and thrust out, scraping the image with her own weapon. The swords crashed together, and two parts of the same person dueled viciously as Carol drove away any psyches trying to attack Rogue while the telepath was thus distracted.

Genesis raised her arm to strike when she heard a yelp from behind her, causing her to stall. The phantom-Genesis saw the opening and struck. Genesis screamed as the garish green sword ripped shallowly through her chest. She collapsed, just in time to see a suddenly furious Rogue lunging forward with new strength, her eyes glowing red and black. Genesis faded from Rogue's mind.

She came to in Archer's arms as he frantically begged her to wake up. Her blurry gaze found her distressed friend, who was sweating and tossing about trying to break free of the firm but gentle arm-lock Gambit was holding her in. His eyes were fearful as they pleaded the telepath for an answer.

Genesis moaned, holding her head as she sat up. "Something happened in her mind; the absorbed psyches have been set loose somehow. I tried to help her fight them, but I got distracted and taken down. I don't know how she can beat them; there were so many!" Pity mixed with desperation as she thought about how many people Rogue had been forced to steal life from against her will.

"What can we do?" Gambit demanded, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

"I don't…" Genesis was interrupted by another scream from the Southern girl as she began to glow, the light flowing into her hands and through the wooden floor of the still-rattling boxcar. That fuchsia sparking was only too familiar.

Gambit's eyes widened before he hauled Rogue up and threw her over his shoulder. "Time t' get off!" he yelled. One-handed, he pulled open the door to the boxcar, wind and stingingly bright lights whipping by at painful speeds.

Genesis seized Archer by the hand and pulled up to the door. The violent wind tore painfully at her hair and made her eyes water. She could hear the Cajun yelling at her over the roar of the tracks and the wind stream.

"Can your telekinesis stop us from splattering on de ground?"

"In all honesty Gambit, I don't know," she replied worriedly. The three glanced back at the boxcar, which was flaring with so much light that it appeared to be on fire already. They had little time before it really was.

"Guess it doesn't matter now _petite_. See y' on de other side." Gambit adjusted his grasp, keeping a tight hold on the now catatonic Rogue as he shifted his feet in preparation to leap. Genesis nodded, one hand grasped by Archer and the other at her forehead ready to catch them all. She was sweating with nerves and pressure. The whine of the massive kinetic charge behind them peaked into a squealing pitch that hurt their ears and heat reared up.

"Jump!" They hurtled from the train car, the wind current catching them and flinging them back through the air just as a miniature mushroom cloud exploded upward from the boxcar. Gambit flinched as the heat wave seared his back, the force of the blast propelling them forward even faster. The world was spinning out of control around and above and below him. All he could do was grip Rogue as tightly as he could and pray that Genesis could catch them.

Just as he saw concrete appear above him and he shut his eyes in preparation for the deadly impact, he felt a sharp yank around him. He hovered ten feet above the ground for a millisecond before dropping painfully onto hard ground. He twisted just in time to take the brunt of the fall on his own body, keeping Rogue shielded against his torso. Gambit gasped, trying to regain the breath driven from his lungs. His eyes found a comforting, concealing darkness, and he managed to pick himself and the unconscious girl up as well, staggering to relative safety.

He collapsed against the wall, cradling his friend while he tried to regain his bearings. Vertigo was still distorting his vision from the free fall, but he could tell they were sequestered in an alley. The noise of cars and human shouts reached his ears as he leaned back against the brick, trying not to be sick at the swirling in his head.

"Gambit," called Archer's voice. He turned his head and saw him making his way down the alley, Genesis stumbling like a drunk beside him, her eyes half-lidded and rolled up in her head. The moment Archer reached his friends Genesis slumped to the ground and started breathing deeply and shakily. Gambit glanced concernedly at her, but Archer waved his hand as he knelt and began to rub the exhausted telepath's back. "She overloaded her head she was concentrating so hard on stopping our little tumble." His eyes held care for the girl, but they then turned to Rogue. "Has she changed at all?"

Gambit shook his head, worry creeping back in and chasing the adrenaline from his bloodstream. "I don' know what to do for her Archer. Genesis is out cold, an' even she didn't know if we could help."

Archer's gaze was just as afraid as he brushed a lock of hair from Rogue's face, careful as always to not touch skin. Her face was drawn with pain and she trembled and twitched periodically. Faint moans escaped her locked lips. Blue eyes met red on black, each mirroring the other's concern. Then the dark-haired boy's head cocked to the side. He stood fluidly and sidled to the alley entrance. He remained statue still for a few moments before slinking back.

"We have to move. The exploding train brought a crowd, and it's too likely someone could find us here."

Gambit seemed indecisive. "We don't know if anymore movin' could hurt Rogue. Dere's nowhere we could go: hospitals are outta the question, an' we can't trust anyone else."

Suddenly Archer slammed his fist hard against the brick wall, his powers sending a ripple through the stonework. His eyes blazed with fury and despair, startling his friend.

"What are we doing Gambit?" His voice was angry and hopeless at the same time. "Look at us. Have we really escaped Hydra? We're always looking over our shoulders, we can't trust anyone, and we have **no one** but ourselves in this world! How can we live like this? We're not people, not mutants; we're animals trying to survive. What's the point of fighting if all life holds for us is that?" His voice had risen to a yell, and Gambit thanked their lucky star, if they could allude to have one, that the raucous crowd nearby was so loud.

Archer grew quiet, slumping against the wall and sinking to the ground, his shoulders sagging in misery. It was shocking because he had always been the most stolid, the one who kept his head in every situation. To see his friend breaking apart like this after so long holding onto hope, it wrenched something in Gambit's gut. He tried to shove back the feelings of doom creeping in him as he thought about the truth in Archer's words.

His eyes narrowed, he laid a hand on the other young man's shoulder. "We still fighting cause we can Archer. We give up an' dey win, they'll have broken us at last. We have t' keep goin', if only t' spit in Hydra's face an' say dat we won."

Gambit's voice was defiant, enough so that Archer nodded and crushed down his gloom enough to rekindle his determination. He took a shaky breath and stood up, the Cajun rising beside him. With a gentleness belying his former fierceness, he collected Genesis in his arms. The two mutants checked about them with their senses before fading down the alley.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hours passed painfully slowly. Both girls were still out of it, but Genesis was beginning to look more alive. Rogue on the other hand, began to grow paler as the time crawled by. Their concern intensified every minute, but all they could do was weave in and out of alleys, trying to find some safety in the darkness.

At last they halted where there was little noise to be heard. Peering from the shadows the boys observed a street lined with townhouses standing side by side. Only a few orange street lamps lit the sidewalks.

Gambit leaned his head back in, returning to where they had laid the girls. He was pleased to find that Genesis had her eyes open, groggy but awake.

"You alright petite?"

"Yes, just tired. And a headache. A major headache at that, but I'll live." He helped her into a sitting position, her hand at her head. Her golden eyes fell to Rogue, who was still shaking and mumbling. Genesis crawled over and knelt beside her.

"You strong enough for dis Theo?" he asked, relapsing back into the uses of their aliases.

She sighed, bone-weary. "I have to be. She needs me." Her face, though haggard, was determined so Gambit allowed her to close her eyes and enter Rogue's mind. The boys settled down to wait, their eyes consistently flicking back to the telepath and the ailing Rogue.

Gambit hadn't realized he had dozed off until he was jerked awake by a sudden pained wail from Rogue. He bolted upward and staggered over to her, where Genesis was panting, but still concentrating. He crouched down beside the southerner, holding tightly to one of her gloved hands. She was trembling violently now and whimpering frantically.

"C'mon chérie, y' strong and y' can beat dis." He allowed himself to squeeze his hand as tight as he needed to relieve some of his tension; after all, she was invulnerable and he doubted it affected her much.

She cried out again as she shuddered, her face twisting in pain as her body curled in on itself. Archer came over as well, until Rogue was surrounded by probably the only three people in the world who cared about whether she made it through the night.

Abruptly, Gambit's head shot up. A light had suddenly begun to stream into the alley from one of the houses on their side of the street. A shadow appeared in the square of light, before it moved away and began approaching the entry of the alley.

Gambit growled softly, like a wolf preparing for battle. "Someone's coming. Archer, we cover de girls."

Archer nodded, his blue eyes narrowing into slits. He pulled out his telescoping bow, leaving it collapsed but poised just in case. He cast his eyes to Gambit as the boys advanced, ready to fight.

"No one had better be smoking their crack back in my alley! You better get before I let loose on you, never mind calling the police!" The shadow that had entered the alley at last grew close enough to make out clearly. A middle-aged woman wrapped in a thick bath robe and toting a handgun with perfect ease, approached them. The wisps of mouse-brown hair mixed with gray falling in the woman's hazel eyes didn't distract her steely gaze from searching out the supposed troublemakers behind her house. No fear could be found in her face at the prospect of possible danger. But she abruptly stopped at the sight before her: two teen boys locked in battle stance, blocking her way towards two girls, one kneeling and the other unconscious. The woman stepped backwards, her eyes wide.

"Back off, if you know what's good for you," Archer threatened, his hand barely hiding his compacted bow behind his back for the moment. The protectiveness in his voice growled fiercely. The woman just stared in shock. These kids, whoever they were, obviously weren't lighting up weed. The gun lowered.

It was a tense couple of moments as the young group and the woman stared each other down. Genesis had retreated from Rogue's mind but was as stiff as a board, waiting to defend herself and Rogue in case the situation grew dire. The woman continued to stare, despite the darkening looks on the boys' faces the longer she lingered. At last she spoke, her voice as calm as anything, her eyes falling to Rogue.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you take your friend to a hospital? She looks awful." The woman's voice was deeper than was usual, with a raspy edge that made it sound tough, but also calming in an abstract way.

"No hospitals," Gambit ground out between his teeth. His eyes were still covered by a cheap pair of sunglasses purchased back before the disastrous encounter in the train station, but it was obvious to those who knew him that his eyes must have been blazing behind the dark lenses. The woman's eyebrows rose towards her hairline, her bewilderment and suspicion morphing slowly into concern. She took a step forward, only to be blocked abruptly by two much taller frames. Her eyes flashed with exasperation rather than fear.

She growled, quite convincingly for such an average looking woman. "I just want to take a look at her." They hovered in front of the unconscious girl for a moment more before drifting aside, their eyes not leaving her for a second.

Brushing her messy bangs from her eyes, the older woman knelt down by the sheet-pale Rogue. The three teens subtly froze up and relaxed again as the woman took Rogue's covered wrist and checked her pulse. Her brow furrowed at whatever she had discovered, scanning the very pale face. Just then, Rogue groaned again and shivered. At that, the woman stood.

"She's not doing well, whatever this is, and being outside isn't helping. It may be summer, but it's chilly out here. Whatever's wrong with your friend would be better handled indoors. Come inside." She motioned before turning around and beginning to move towards the still pool of light at the alley entrance. She turned again as she realized that no one was following. She cocked her eyebrow. "Do you want to stay out in the alley all night?" The hostile stares continued.

"I don't mean you any harm," she said, her husky voice suddenly becoming much softer. It was a bit of a shock for the teens. The tone of voice was unfamiliar to them, but the pleasant feelings it sent through them suddenly lifted the stones settling in their chests. The woman turned fully in the side door of her house, her arms crossed but her hazel eyes soft. "I promise that I have nothing up my sleeve. After all, do you think I could stand up against you three?" She gestured to the three powerful teens.

Archer stared into her eyes intensely. "Why do you want to help us anyway?" His voice still held a trace of the angry despair from his outburst earlier.

The woman shifted her weight, returning the pale blue gaze steadily. "I know that look in your eyes. I saw it in the mirror from age fifteen to twenty-two. Saw it again in my only daughter for a few years too." Her eyes flashed again, but this time in pain at old scars laid bare unexpectedly. "I know how it hurts, and I wouldn't leave people like you, without anyone to turn to, out here at night in an alley. So it's your choice: stay out here, or come in."

The three aware teens stared stonily at her. They didn't move.

Until Genesis stood up, lifting Rogue effortlessly.

"Theo?" Gambit growled as he saw what she was doing.

"Russell, I'm doing everything I can for her, but she's very weak. I know about… how strong she is, but right now her immune system's shot and if she gets sick she won't last long." Genesis' eyes were fearful and pleading. "Are you willing to risk losing her?"

Gambit's jaw snapped closed. After a few seconds he nodded, his tense posture relaxing somewhat. Relief flooded the girl's face, and she hastened toward the door that the woman held open for them. The older woman said nothing about the utter effortlessness with which the long-haired girl moved, even burdened with her friend's deadweight. The two young men were directly behind her, lined up like bodyguards as they entered the unfamiliar kitchen space. The room was bathed in warm light, and the lingering smell of stew permeated the air.

The woman motioned to the door leading into a darkened hallway. "The spare bedroom is two doors down on the left. If you need anything, let me know."

Genesis nodded, moving toward the doorway. She paused and turned back. "Thank you," she murmured before disappearing around the corner. The boys were left standing in the kitchen, eyeing their unexpected host warily. The woman continued to appear unconcerned at their stony silence, instead moving toward the fridge.

"If you're hungry I have left over tortilla soup from dinner and all the usual stuff for sandwiches."

Gambit and Archer threw perplexed looks at each other, maintaining their silence. They still couldn't quite understand why this woman was offering them shelter. They had been raised to finish an objective and survive. The only scenario for they knew that called for helping others was if it benefitted their masters directly.

Archer at last relieved the silence. "Thank you for your hospitality ma'am." It was polite, and likely wouldn't trigger any hostility or suspicion.

To their surprise, the woman waved her hand and motioned them toward the small table. "I won't have anything of that ma'am business; makes me feel old. My name is Fae, Fae Corbett," she said with a smile. "Now come and eat something. Growing young men like you shouldn't be as thin as you are." The extra tough demeanor displayed in the alley had died down somewhat, so she appeared almost motherly. She ushered them forward as she began to rummage about for a meal.

Gambit waved her off courteously. "I'm gonna go check on R-Darcy," he backtracked so quickly that Fae didn't notice the slight slip. She nodded and he exited into the hallway down which the girls had gone.

The door at the end of the hall was only slightly opened with light leaking across the hardwood floor. He entered to find Rogue laid out a bed, with Genesis sitting beside her in a chair. The conscious girl was pressing her fingers to her temples and biting her lip, a small bead of blood trickling down her chin. Not wanting to disturb what looked like a precarious situation, he sat down at the edge of the bed, watching the silent struggle intensely.

The room remained silent as time dragged by. After a while, Archer joined the silent group.

"Fae is making us something to eat. How are they doing?"

Gambit shrugged. "No change. I hate jus' sittin' here an' not being able to help."

Just then Genesis slid her eyes open with a groan, putting a hand to her bleeding lip. She waved off the sudden rush of questions from her two companions.

"Shh! My head hurts enough already," she moaned while grasping her head in her hands. The boys shut up immediately as they waited for their telepath to regain her focus. At last her hands dropped and she sighed.

"I've done as much as I can, though I'm not sure how effective it will be. I know that her powers leave echoes of the people she's absorbed in her mind, but I always thought it was just some dormant telepathic aspect of her powers. I know now that's not the case. I don't know what happened, but these remnants she absorbed before are sentient somehow, and they started attacking her."

Gambit and Archer shot each other shocked and worried glances.

"How is that possible? And why would they start trying to hurt her now after so long?" Archer asked concernedly.

"I don't know," Genesis said. "My best guess is she had some kind of power overload, but I don't know how. She hasn't absorbed anyone recently as far as I know."

Gambit shifted, before he spoke up. "I t'ink she touched me, back on the train. I thought I felt her powers, but I was still sleepin', thought it was a dream. It would explain how she blew up de train," he commented, lowering his voice as he spoke. He didn't think that Fae, as welcoming as she seemed, would take kindly to housing fugitives of a freight train explosion.

"So how's she doin' now?" he asked, bringing the subject back to their main priority.

Genesis brushed a strand of hair from her eyes and glanced back at her friend. "Carol and I have been helping to subdue them. I didn't try to destroy them, because I wasn't sure what wiping them all out would do to her mind and I'm not a strong enough telepath to repair any major damage. So for now, we've just tried to lock them away so they can't hurt her. When I came back most of them were under control, and Carol will be working to contain the rest." With the conclusion of her report, Genesis slumped back in the chair, her posture showing her exhaustion. However, she shot right back up as the door inched open.

Fae entered, supporting several bowls of soup on a tray with a plate of dry toast as a side. She glanced sympathetically at the unconscious Rogue as she quietly set the meal down on the wooden writing desk in the corner.

"Is she alright?" she asked in a whisper.

"I think she will be," Genesis murmured, "but she'll probably be weak for a long while after this."

Fae nodded, before she spoke again. "Listen, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I have to ask if there's somewhere you should be. Will your families be looking for you?"

The rather stony silence that followed gave her the answer. She nodded in acceptance.

"I won't pry, but I'd like to help you if I can. If you have nowhere else to stay, then you're welcome to stay here until your friend is back to normal."

The teens looked surprised at the offer and threw glances at each other. Archer spoke up for them. "Thank you ma–Fae," he corrected himself. "We didn't expect such generosity."

She shook her head. "Then it's a sad world where helping those in need is a rare gift. Alright then, there are some additional rooms down this way, so if…"

"If'n y' don't mind _Mam'selle_, we'd rather not be separated," Gambit spoke up, sensing the joint anxiety spreading among their group. His secondary power, a mild empathy as Essex had discovered several months ago, had never been of much use to HYDRA, but he found it useful in ways that would have been pointless to the terrorist organization.

Fae paused before giving her assent to the arrangement. She disappeared for a minute before returning with blankets and pillows from the linen closet.Soon they were all settled into spaces on the floor, deceptively close in appearance to any average slumber party among friends.

"If you need anything during the night, it's alright to ask me. Goodnight then." The light was clicked off and Fae's shadow disappeared from the door. The room lay in peaceful silence for a moment before Genesis spoke, her voice sounding confused.

"I still don't really understand. Why would she help us when she doesn't even know us? We could very well be thieves or murderers, yet she treats us like her own children."

Gambit had been pondering this very thing ever since Fae had first shown them into her home. Of course he could appreciate the warmth and better security of having a roof overhead, but the generosity they received for nothing was making him antsy. Over the years he had come to the knowledge that both from his training and from his own nature, that he hated not understanding something. He didn't know why Fae had offered them shelter, but despite his frustration he couldn't help the pleasant feeling that was spreading through him. It was strong enough to quell any suspicion that remained, allowing him to slip into perhaps the most peaceful slumber he had experienced in many a year. His last whisper of empathy caught the same feeling of comfort radiating from both Genesis and Archer as they also began to drift off. As a matter of fact, it was the first time outside of their group of four that they had experienced compassion. For lost souls like them, it was truly something of wonder.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

_A/N: Ay ay ay, these chapters are giving me some trouble. I rewrote this one perhaps five times before I got it to a point where I was reasonably satisfied. But I did finish this one. This is a big transition in the story and it's a little difficult, but I'll try my best to work faster on these. But I have at last given you an update; call it an Easter present, and an early birthday gift to Aurai Sophia Kiana Nyx Smith._

_Here's hoping the next chapter will be faster than this one!_


	12. Choice

The Paths We Tread

Chapter 12 – Choice

A warm trickle of sunlight leaked across the hardwood floor, illuminating the lumps of blanketed bodies dozing both on the ground and on the bed.

Gambit blinked slowly, watching the motes swirling the spear of tangerine light. His eyes were slightly squinted, as his protective sunglasses were lying next to his pillow. The red irises roamed over the crack in the window curtains and then back over his companions. Genesis was huddled into a tight little ball like a cat, her shoulder blade-length white hair draping over her slack face. Archer was splayed out and tangled among his coverings, snoring in a contented sleep, a rare thing among the four of them. He stared the longest at Rogue, reassuring himself that she was alright by the light but steady rise and fall of her chest. When he realized that he was no longer staring to verify her breathing his eyes darted away. He'd found himself doing that more than usual lately, and he always responded with a mixture of embarrassment and a hint of pleasure. But at the moment, he was curious about the feeling, so he turned back and admired his dearest friend.

He had always known it deep down, but now that he had time to think about it, he truly appreciated how attractive Rogue was. Even a former HYDRA operative could recognize sexual appeal when they saw it. In fact, attractiveness was an additional quality in an operative, getting them into higher circles they might otherwise have been excluded from through less than conventional means. Gambit allowed his eyes to roam over her body, with special attention to the face. She really had a lovely face, and now with the peace of deep sleep erasing the signs of strain, she appeared even more beautiful.

Slowly and as silently as his significant skill could allow, he inched from beneath his blankets and over the side of Rogue's bed. He smiled at the cute little scrunch in her nose as she slept. This was actually their third morning in Fae's home. The previous days had been spent mostly in this room watching Genesis work with Rogue to contain the psyches, as she had begun to call them. Fae had only dropped by to bring meals and inquire on 'Darcy's' health. Gambit was still the most hostile toward her, glaring until she backed out of the room. Other than those times she allowed them their space. By now, Genesis had confirmed that the psyches were under control and all Rogue had to do now was sleep until she recovered her strength. They didn't know how long it would be until she woke again, but their worry had decreased since the disaster on the train.

Now that she was out of danger, Gambit felt tremendous relief. He hadn't realized how frightened he had been when he thought that Rogue might be taken from them. He tenderly brushed a strand of white hair away from her face, being careful of her skin.

"_What are you doin' t' me mon chère," _he thought absently, running his fingers through the silky locks. She moaned quietly before rolling over and snuggling against his side. His surprise quickly faded as he brought his arm around her and held her close. A faint sigh of contentment escaped her lips. Gambit smiled as he sat there, watching more light leak into the room from the partially covered window.

A sharp pang swept through him, a wisp of old fear. The sun was rising outside. It was reassuring for a roof to be over his head, but to be blocked off even in the most simplistic way from freedom still set him trembling inside. He had been too worried about Rogue these past days to really notice, but now he longed to see the sky again. He was still waking up in the mornings and frantically reminding himself what it looked like. Besides, in all the confusion of Rogue's breakdown and the train explosion, they had no idea where they were. His ingrained instinct told him that it was crucial he know his location; to be lost was to be, in a way, helpless.

Gambit's eyes darted around the room. The others still slept, but he knew that if any danger were to grow near, they would be up and ready in the blink of an eye. Anyways, he wouldn't be far.

Gently removing himself from Rogue's grasp and slipping on his sunglasses, he drifted from the room. His feet moved with the utmost stealth, staying close to the walls where the floor boards were less likely to creak. For the first time, Gambit really took note of where he was. The hallway down which he crept was narrow but short, opening into a foyer with openings on either side. The left led into some kind of parlor or living room, the right hand leading to a formal dining room.

Gambit winced at the sight, a memory flashing in front of his eyes. He had trained in simulations that projected holograms of places like this. In one when he was sixteen he remembered being forced to repeatedly stab and slash a target in the most ferocious manner, the gruesome scene taking place in a formal dining room much like this one. The pools of blood and the ravaged body were meant as scare tactics, a way to send a message. But the stained walls and punctured slab of meat, though all false, had left its own impression in his mind. He had been unconsciously scrubbing his hands clean of the blood weeks after that particular session.

With a hiss, Gambit shook his head. No use thinking about it now, he told himself, shoving away that blackness that was always gnawing at him, loath though he was to admit it. He took in the carpeted staircase that made up the left wall of his hallway, and then the large ornate door at the opposite end of the foyer.

The door was locked, but with a few improvised tools he found near him, with a quick jimmy the catch freed.

The breath of fresh air was like life flooding back into his veins. With a sigh Gambit crouched on the front steps, his dark clothes blending into the still remaining shadows cast by the house.

The tall old style buildings were lined side by side up and down the quiet street, thin trees planted at intervals rustling their leaves peacefully in the morning breeze. Somewhere nearby a dog barked happily at the new day. The smell of roses from a small enclosed garden across the street wafted through the air. With his keen ears Gambit could make out the rumbling of cars and the babble of crowds on a morning commute. To him, they were like alien creatures, something that he could never identify with and that would never understand him. Despite the noise and the sunlight playing between the shadows of skyscrapers off in the distance, he felt very alone.

His head shifted as he heard the faint thumping of feet inside. He knew everything about the sounds of his friends: their gaits, their breathing, and even the shifting of changing positions. The footsteps he heard didn't match Archer's long-legged straight stride, Genesis' light dancing steps, or Rogue's proud but graceful tread.

The door behind him creaked slightly, but he remained stone-still as Fae lowered herself onto the steps beside him. A tense silence hovered between them that Gambit had no intention of breaking. Fae however, liked to push boundaries when it came to her mysterious young charges.

"What a lovely morning. I usually never have much time to enjoy it; either I'm rushing off to work or sleeping in. But now that summer is here, maybe I'll do this more often. Being a school teacher does have its advantages."

Silence was her only reward for her remark. She cast a glance at her lanky, brooding companion who wouldn't look at her. Though she knew it was risky, Fae reached over and tapped the boy lightly on the shoulder. He didn't move away from her, but he instantly grew tense as coiled spring. She ignored this and continued speaking.

"What about you? You seem to enjoy the mornings."

At last he looked at her, even though his eyes were hidden by his shades as always. He grinned, but it wasn't a pleasant expression, surprisingly intense for such an otherwise solid poker face.

"Let's just say that I have a special appreciation for sunrises; hell, de outdoors in general at that." There were hints of bitterness and disdain creeping through his voice, barely veiled by false politeness.

Fae knew he was closing the discussion, warning her to back off. She was no coward, but she was also well aware that only more trouble could arise from pressuring him for information. So she leaned back and watched as the day grew brighter. Fae was partial to summers, especially midsummer like it was now. The memory of cold and snow and biting wind could be left behind, allowing new warmth to settle in the soul.

Again, she peeked at Russell. She wasn't stupid; she knew it wasn't his real name. The four teens had their own names for each other, but that was information she wasn't privy to. Besides, the boy didn't look like a Russell. His looks, which were considerable, seemed too exotic, too mysterious for such an average name. Andrew fit his moniker better with his handsome but non-exceptional appearance, as did Theo somehow. Darcy though, didn't fit any name that Fae could think of. The unconscious girl was an even greater mystery than her antsy friend here.

While watching him, Fae noticed the perplexed expression mixed with frustration leaking through the cracks in his otherwise blank face. If she could see his eyes, she didn't doubt they would be roving up and down the street and over the skyline.

"New York City, Manhattan." Gambit whipped his head around, one eyebrow raised as Fae spoke again. Her hazel eyes remained casual under his scrutiny.

"You're in New York City, Manhattan Island. Upper West Side. You've been staying in my home, Brownstone 23. If you wanted to know."

He didn't seem too pleased that she'd interpreted his thoughts with such ease, but it was better he learn now that he wasn't as deep of an enigma as he had thought. Despite his angst, the boy seemed to have an ego on him.

"T'anks for de info, but I could've figured it out on my own," he growled.

Fae crossed her arms at the rudeness in his voice. "It was only meant to be helpful. And I thought Southern boys were raised to respect a lady."

Gambit, while remaining relaxed on the outside, froze inside. She called him southern. It rang a bell far back in his mind. He had no hope of accessing it, but that smallest tidbit of information about himself was sending a thrill through him. Was he southern? What exactly did that mean, besides indicating a direction of navigation?

His thoughts were still buzzing wildly, but he remained smooth in words and appearance. "Depends on where exactly down south you're talkin' about."

Fae leaned back. "Well, you sound vaguely Cajun, or that would at least explain those random French words you throw in now and then."

He hadn't expected much response to her words, just more of the tugging in his mind that told him when something was familiar. So he couldn't hide the gasp of pain as what felt like a sledgehammer collided with his brain. Gambit's hand flew up, lights popping in his vision even behind the dark glasses.

"Oh my God, are you alright?" Fae yelped as he bent over on himself, clutching at his head.

He gritted his teeth. He had endured worse pain before; he just hadn't prepared for it this time. It had been a while now and his body wasn't as resistant to hurt like this anymore. But he still managed to growl, "Yeah, just a bad headache." He hissed again as another bolt of pain lashed behind his eyes. Whatever she had said had triggered something big, a major memory or facet of himself that he still couldn't reach. It was agony, but he felt excitement now too. This could mean it would be possible to retrace himself, find out what little he had been before. And then a nasty little thought niggled at him.

_What could there be to find? You've been Hydra's slave for almost your whole life; what else is there to discover?_

That hurt probably worse than the memory backlash. He wanted to scream in defiance, but it was true. Hydra had ingrained itself into his very bones. Who he was had been shaped and chiseled for him, for all of them, no matter their defiance. No matter how far they ran, their past was always right behind.

He growled again as more pain stabbed behind his retinas. A hand suddenly touched his shoulder, gripping it. Snarling, Gambit ripped away, almost jumping up.

"I said I'm fine!" he snapped furiously at their concerned host. The venom in his voice startled her for a moment, before stubbornness crept over her face.

"Obviously you are not fine! I can tell when someone's in pain, and when they're too stubborn to accept help. Why won't you let me?"

The young man positively snarled at her; it hardly sounded human. Even with his eyes covered she could feel the heat of his raging gaze burning into her forehead. He leaned in close. Fae really felt for the first time the threat emanating from him. She may have wanted to help, but there was no denying her reluctant charge was dangerous. Still, she didn't back down as his nose almost touched hers and he hissed his words out.

"Because I don't need your help; none of us do. The only ones who've ever been able to help us have been ourselves. Anyone else…well, it wasn't out o' de goodness of their hearts they got involved wit' us." He leaned back slightly, but he was so tense he looked ready to run – or fight – for his life.

Fae felt her heart twist painfully. Beneath the fury, he was just a lost kid, with no one but himself and his friends to turn to. With the way he talked, she didn't doubt that without the support of the others he would not be alive today. She doubted any of them would be.

She wasn't a stranger to suffering herself. Fae knew what it was like to feel hopeless: the death of her brother in a car accident, the abuse of drugs for five years, and then having to watch her daughter Kaitlin suffer the same thing later on. Fae had known nothing more terrifying in her life like watching over her daughter in the hospital after her attempted suicide. But despite all that, Russell, Darcy, Theo, and Andrew seemed to have seen so much more; tortures she could never imagine.

She didn't have to let this be her problem. Like so many others would have, she could just provide them with food, some shelter, and see them on their way. But she just couldn't. A sudden protectiveness had begun to bloom inside of her, so suddenly it was frightening. She could no longer turn away this troubled young family formed out of desperation than she could turn away her own children.

Gambit was shocked when he saw the sparkle of tears in the older woman's eyes, but he was even more so when she reached out, trying to take his hand. He pulled away, but Fae still gazed at him intensely.

"Yes you do Russell. You do need help. You don't have to rely on yourselves, not if you let me help you."

He shook his head. "We got no reason to trust you. A place to sleep, food, dat don't mean nothin'."

"Then give me a chance to earn your trust," she pleaded as she stood.

The young man laughed bitterly. "For what? Even if we did give you dat chance, what could you do for us? You could never imagine in your darkest nightmares what we've been through. And you'd try to _understand_, try to _fix us _like de broken tools we are." He clawed at this hair; how he wished it was longer, able to hide the desperation creeping past his façade of cold bravado. He hadn't realized he was backing away, down the stairs, until he almost slipped.

Fingers closed around his hand. Panic swept through him. His training told him to rip away from the grasp, and strike back with everything he had. Even now he could feel the charge of his powers raging in his fingers. If he let it go it would spread through the woman's body until she either disintegrated or blew apart like a firecracker. He almost allowed it free reign, but then the fingers squeezed on his hand, gently. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. It was so…Gambit wanted to growl, finding no word in his mind to describe what it felt like. It felt like…when Kayla would sooth his mind after a traumatizing experience with Sinister, or when Rogue gave him a small smile. They were so rare that it was a gift one could truly label priceless. It was a feeling of… a promise. A promise to be there.

Fae smiled sadly at him. "You're right. I doubt I ever could understand whatever you've been through. But I'm not asking for your past, your secrets, whatever haunts you. What I'm asking is for you to allow me to help you look past it. What's past is for you alone to come to terms with, if that's what you want. Just give me the chance to help give you a better future in return. I don't need to understand to do that."

Gambit stared at her wide-eyed. What was she offering? It seemed like so much, but nothing came without a price. Yet, there was something in her voice. It was laid bare almost, as if she had nothing to hide. And there was nothing. He didn't feel or hear any trace of a lie in her voice, in her eyes. But more than that, he felt different. He felt he had worth, like he was more than just an instrument of advantage to her. Like he was actually _wanted_.

He tried to turn away; he felt the traitorous tightening in his throat and that tingling behind his eyes. The sunglasses were hiding them for now, but he could not allow tears to fall.

He shook his head, mumbling. "You can't promise somet'ing like that; you don't know who we are, or what we've done."

"And that's the point," she said quietly. "I don't need to know. I just need you to have some faith in me. I can help you, but only you can decide if you'll allow it."

That seemed to open a floodgate of some kind. Suddenly, the sun really seemed to shine, flushing out a coldness inside he could never escape. She was giving him a choice. In Hydra, a choice was not something they were entitled to. And even beyond the confining walls and out in the real world, there had been no choice; the only option was to flee. But now there was a new doorway, one that wasn't so dark. There was light beyond that threshold, if he was brave enough to step through. Gambit's eyes sought the skyline as the sun broke above the towering structures. It felt like it was reaching him for the first time.

Fae felt it. Suddenly, his shoulders dropped and tension flooded away from him. She held on tighter as she felt his hand trembling faintly. He wasn't looking at her, but rather eastward. She could only imagine what he might be thinking, but she knew his answer.

Gently, and slightly playfully, she shook his hand a little and drew his attention back to her. She said nothing about the glittering tracks on his cheeks. "Come on kid, sun's coming up and your friends will be up and about soon. How about we start on some breakfast?" She released his hand and stepped back a little. A space where he could lay down his answer.

Tentatively, he stepped forward to join her. She smiled widely, before turning around to open the door again and let them inside.

"Merci."

It was quiet almost a whisper, but it was so thick with unspoken thoughts, memories, and feelings that she doubted it could have been any louder than it was. But she simply nodded. It was all he need say.

"You're welcome."

~.~.~

_Hello again. I must say, these chapters are giving me a lot of trouble, trying to find that balance between angst and fluff while still progressing the plot some. I believe though that after this, things will be a bit faster. Hopefully :P_

_Also, a lot of people have been wondering about the many side plots I have going like the X-men, X-23, and how it ties together. Don't worry; I've got this planned out and things will happen as they will. The answer I can give you now is that things won't be tying together for a while, but they will eventually. And again, thank you for all reviews, story alerts, and favorites. It keeps me inspired and writing, so a shout out to everyone who is following the story: LOVE Y'ALL!_

_WG23_


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